Clairvoyance
by Teee-Jay
Summary: Knowing the events of what is to come can be a large burden. Especially when you have to decide what you can and can't change. Star Wars SI, Prequel Trilogy. Follows Legends lore. Rated M for language and adult themes, but no lemons. First story ever
1. Chapter 1

Waking up after being positive I was going to die was an interesting and disorienting experience. I had no clue where I was, and was surprised to find out that I didn't hurt anywhere. Typically, a car crash leaves lasting effects that are quite obvious. Well, maybe that's why everything was so blurry. Wouldn't be surprised if I have a concussion, or even some brain hemorrhaging. It was a _bad_ accident.

"Where the shit am I?" I said out loud.

Or, I tried to at least. Instead, it sounded like my vocal chords had been replaced by rubber duckies and I was gurgling some mouthwash.

Well, that can't be good.

I started to take stock of myself, and let me tell you, waking up when I expected to be dead had nothing on the next distressing revelation I had: I couldn't move….. well, _anything_!

Ok, that may not be completely accurate. I could move my fingers and kick my feet slightly. But my head felt like someone had filled it with lead. My neck wasn't strong enough to move it anywhere I wanted, and even where it was pointed, my eyes were shit at focusing on anything.

Unbidden tears began welling in my eyes, and I could feel the panic welling up from deep in my gut. I'm not one to normally cry, except from happiness, but it didn't seem that my body cared all that much. It continued to boil up until I could feel the tears spilling out of my eyes, and in some epic climax, I let out a… wail?

The noise coming from me was very distinct, something that no human would ever mistake. This realization caused me to panic even more. I was a damn _baby_!

I continued to lose my shit for what felt like hours, but, what the hell do I know, I'm a baby, right? Eventually, I heard footsteps that were heading my way. A glimmer of hope started to calm me down. Maybe I'd finally get some answers! The footsteps came ever closer, and, even though baby me couldn't see anything, 20-year-old-brain me knew that whoever it was was standing over me. I was proven correct when the face of a dark haired woman appeared out of nowhere, nearly bumping my nose, and absolutely startling the piss out of me.

I let out an admittedly adorable squeak. Though, I did my best to make sound like "Alright, asshole!"

Ok, here we go, tell me something lady! Where am I, what happened, why am I a fucking infant!

In my anticipation, her mouth seemed to be moving agonizingly slowly. Until it wasn't. And out of her mouth came the most bizarre language I'd ever heard. Not English.

Yeah, cue the wailing.

I was distraught, crying so hard I'm sure I was freaking the woman out. Nothing was going to calm me down, I was convinced I was going to just cry for the rest of my life. But then, something did manage to calm me down.

I don't know where it started, or if it even had a point of origin at all, but all of a sudden the most calming presence surrounded and filled me. My wail became a whimper, which itself soon became just a quivering bottom lip until eventually I was as serene as I was when I woke up. I don't know why I felt this way, but all of a sudden every part of me knew that everything was ok, that I was safe.

Before the feeling went away, everything around me seemed to sharpen. It wasn't back to my normal vision, mind you, but everything was definitely in sharper focus than is normal for a new baby. I also was able to slightly hold my head up and move it side to side. Yeah, not normal for a newborn.

Even though the reason for my abnormally good eyesight was unknown, it did afford me a much better look of my surroundings. I was in some kind of hyper advanced medical room. In fact, the only reason I knew it was a medical room was because of the white walls, the too-bright lights, and the constant beeping of the monitoring equipment. Those things are pretty consistent in any hospital.

Lining the walls was different kinds of equipment, with an assortment of flashing lights. Some had scrolling text and read outs that looked just as foreign as the language the lady spoke sounded.

Speaking of, said lady looked to be wearing some kind of uniform, maybe a nurse's. She was standing over my bed, which quite closely resembled the beds you'd see in a NICU waiting room. However, there didn't seem to be any equipment connected to me for the purpose recording my status.

The nurse checked some of the instruments, presumably lookin over my vitals, though I had no idea how anything was being recorded. Once she was satisfied, she gave a nod and, with some parting gibberish I still didn't understand, she left the room.

I continued to inspect my surroundings, but couldn't ascertain much else of my current situation. The lack of windows prevented me from making any sense about my location.

However, as I was looking around, I began to notice my vision start to blur again, as well as the comforting feeling that initially calmed me was receding. Panicking, I decided to make sure I didn't lose the calming feeling, and so I chose to focus on that. However, as I concentrated on the… well, whatever it was that was keeping me calm, I noticed my vision began to refocus. Huh. Nifty.

I didn't get much time to think about this, though, because I heard more footsteps heading in my direction. I noticed that this time there was more than one pair, and the second set of footsteps was much heavier than the nurse's.

I began to wonder what I was going to encounter next. But, man, I was not even remotely close to being ready for what walked in right behind the nurse.

Towering over the dark haired woman was a very tall, brown haired man with a well kempt short, thick beard, fully decked out in shiny armour. However, this wasn't some run of the mill armour. This man was wearing bright white, with black trim, _Mandalorian_ armour. You know, like Jango Fett? Badass bounty hunter that should've gotten way more screen time or even a spin off? Yup, this guy had the unmistakable helmet tucked under his left arm, with a thigh holstered pistol on his right leg. No jet pack though. Regardless, it was a real life Mandalorian.

Still wasn't the most mind blowing thing about him though.

He had my face.

* * *

 **Literally the first story I've ever written. Obviously an SI. But go ahead and let me know what I can do better. I know the chapter is very short. I didn't like where I ended it, but if I had added Chapter 2 to it in one huge chapter it would have been to much at once, so I'm posting both chapters at the same time. Let me know, in a civilized way please, what you think I can improve on this. I'll have a longer AN at the end of chapter 2. Thanks guys!**

 **-Teee-Jay**


	2. Chapter 2

It was like staring in a mirror. I mean, if I wasn't baby faced me, but the original me from before the car wreck, plus a few years. It was the second most disorienting feeling of my life, just barely behind finding out I was a newborn. He looked to be about 6'7" at least, but that could have been exaggerated by the armour he was wearing.

I sat there just staring at him, wondering what the heck was going on until my brain finally restarted itself, and I realized that _holy shit that's a damn Mandalorian, I woke up in Star Wars!_

Rational me tried to reason out what I was seeing, like maybe this was just a fever dream and I actually was laying in a real hospital after the accident I had. But as the seconds ticked by I started leaning toward this being real. Most of the time, when someone realizes they are probably dreaming, it ends and they wake up. That wasn't happening here. Another fact that discounted this theory was the level of detail in the room and on the two other people occupying it with me. The average person can't just make up a brand new person in their dreams like they are playing the Sims or something. Their brain will pull images they've seen such as from television or people they've actually met. Or, if it does try to make a whole new, original person, their features fluctuate or are murky due to the lack of details. This could explain my doppelganger, but the nurse was completely unfamiliar to me. And the bells and whistles on these machines, as well as the complex characters of the language they were displaying were far past the skills of my imagination.

Nope, it definitely looked like I'd been transported into the world of Star Wars. It also explained that strange calmness from earlier. I must have touched the Force for the first time. I'm Force sensitive? Under normal circumstances I'd be beyond excited. I'm one of the biggest fans of George Lucas's creation, and would give anything to live in it. But, I'd probably have some trepidation if I knew I'd be reincarnated as an infant with a 20-year-old brain. But, I digress.

And then, with no warning whatsoever, I'm being engulfed by gigantic gloved hands and hoisted out of my bed. Now I know why small people hate being manhandled.

Before I know it I'm being carried out of the room and down a long hall by the 'other me'. I'm finally able to make out a doorway we are heading to with a symbol over it that seems to match the language that was being displayed on my monitors. Since I assumed we are in a hospital, I figure the character above the door acts as a room number.

We walk in and see what looks like a recreation of the delivery room that Obi-Wan took Padme to on Polis Masa, and on the operating bed laid a woman with black hair who looked like she'd just run a marathon. And by the smile on her face it looked like she had won and I was the first place trophy.

While she didn't look like my mother, or my first mother I guess, she did look like she could be related to her. Close enough that I figured between her and the mandalorian who looked like my twin, I'd look pretty close to how I did before when I grow up. As my 'dad' handed me off to my new 'mother', she uttered something. A name, my new name, and in that moment I knew I was starting a totally new life.

"Tyris. My little Tyris Kelborn."

As my parents took me home, time seemed to speed up. I don't know if it was my mind trying to preserve my sanity, or if it was the Force stepping in to aid me along. It didn't seem like the latter because I wasn't having that serene feeling I got back in the NICU. It also explained why I didn't remember the actual birth. I would have gone insane before I even realized what the hell was happening.

It almost seemed like I was making jumps through my life. Weeks would pass in the blink of an eye, but I would remember everything that happened. As the days went by, I began to learn more and more about my family and what part of the Star Wars timeline I was in.

My father, Rhydis Kelborn, was the last in a very long line of Mandalorian warriors from the clan Kelborn. It took me a while to realize why the clan name sounded so familiar. Kelborn was the name of Canderous's second in command during the events of KOTOR 2. I thought that was pretty cool.

My mother, Brinna, never talked about her lineage or anything like that. I was able to determine that we currently reside on Nar Shadda. But, based on the size of our home and the cleanliness of everything I've seen, we must live in one of the wealthier districts. Apparently my dad lead a small combat team that sold it services, and did very well considering my current digs. He wasn't around very much though.

Weeks would go by with just my mom and I. She seemed to serve in some kind of accountant/secretary role for the team. She handled the finances and made sure every member got paid, as well as taking calls and making 'appointments'. The mundaneness of the word belied just want my dad did. I don't really know what that is exactly, but I'm positive it's not nice, nor strictly legal.

However, the times he was home, he was good to the both of us. He'd take us out to nice dinners and play with me when he had the time. I played up the toddler act during these times. But sometimes, I'd forget myself. I'd say a sentence that no 2 year old would ever say. Hell, how many 2 year olds talk in sentences _at all_? My parents would do a double take, and either laugh or look at me with pride, most likely thinking how their kid was so much smarter than their friends' children. I honestly didn't know how to feel in these moments. They were nice people, and took great care of me, but once you have one set of parents, especially for two decades, it's hard to look at anyone else the same way.

After a while, dad would be gone for longer and longer. He hired more members to the team, moved us into a bigger apartment, and looked like he was making all the right moves. But he looked like a husk whenever he was home. It looked like he wasn't eating right, and he was always tired. Something was wrong, and my mom was worrying herself sick trying to help him.

Then, one day, he left for the last time. It was just like any other time. Then days turned to weeks, turned to months. Ten of them, actually. FInally, one of the guys from the team returned, carrying my dad's S-5 Heavy Blaster. My mom was never the same.

This was one of those chunks that seemed to fly by. Something else happened though. Our money was gone. And not like we weren't making enough anymore and had spent it all, but like someone had literally drained the account of all the credits we had.

A few weeks after that, we were on the streets. The landlords of the rich apparently weren't very empathetic.

My mother did her best to keep us fed and sheltered, but she was a young woman with a little boy who had just recently turned 3. She'd take housekeeping positions and cooking jobs where she could, but nothing stuck or paid very well.

I did what I could to help. You'd be surprised how little attention is paid to a 3 year old. I'd swipe fruit from stands that weren't paying attention and take tips from restaurant tables when nobody was paying attention.

Still, none of it was helping much. We were going longer and longer without eating. My mom had lost a lot of weight and her hair had become very thin. I didn't know this woman all that well, but it was still heartbreaking seeing the difference from the energetic and bright woman from less than a year ago to now.

A little over a year past, until one day I thought my life in this universe was going to be cut short at 4 years. We hadn't eaten more than a few morsels in almost a week, and my mother had fallen ill. I couldn't see a way out of this situation. Apparently our plight was so common on this planet that we were basically invisible.

We were sitting in a back alley, and I was helping her drink from a small cup of water I was able to get from a public bathroom in a local bar that didn't really check anyone at the door.

"I'm so sorry, Tyris. This isn't the life I wanted for you, you deserve so much better," she said, though it came out very soft and weak.

I didn't know what to say, but I knew I had to do something. I knew if I could just get that feeling back from when I first arrived her, I could use the heightened senses it granted to help me pickpocket someone or something.

I was quite tall for a four year old, which was honestly unsurprising considering how tall my dad was, so I wouldn't have a problem reaching a person's pocket. The problem was I was still struggling with the dexterity required to lift something out of said pocket without alerting the target.

I came out of my musings and noticed my mother had fallen asleep. I checked to make sure she had a steady pulse and was breathing before letting out a sigh of relief. While doing this I noticed the bulge of the S-5 within the folds of her clothing. It was literally the only thing we owned, my mom unwilling to sell it and part with the last memento of her husband.

I'd thought of using it several times before to hold someone up and steal a few credits, but the gun was too large for me to point effectively and I was too small for anyone to take seriously, and I didn't know if I could bring myself to actually kill anyone yet.

I was still to small, but we were at the end of desperation. If something didn't give, neither of us were going to live.

I slowly pulled the weapon out of her clothing, making sure the safety was on so that I didn't accidently shoot either of us. When I had the pistol, I made sure the powerpack was connected and that it was still in working condition.

Alright, now it was time to go hunting.

…

…

I hate how cheesy that sounded.

I left the alleyway, awkwardly trying to hide the pistol that was much too large for me. Honestly, it felt like a small rifle in my hands. I had no idea how I was going to pull this off, but the alternative wasn't really a choice at all.

I began to look around the streets trying to figure out who I was going to rob. The trick was finding the middle ground. Someone who looks too ragged probably doesn't have anything worth taking, but someone in nice clothing who looked like they had many things worth stealing probably either had a blaster or even a body guard that tailed them.

I decided to post up in a sparsely used side alley so people didn't start wondering why there was a child just standing around with a blaster.

The minutes turned into an hour. Then two. I began to get incredibly frustrated. I couldn't find a single person that fit my criteria, and I was to afraid to go after anyone I was currently seeing.

This was it. I was gonna have to go back to my mother empty handed. We were both going to die, and I couldn't do shit about it. My second chance and I've already squandered it after 4 measly years. I couldn't believe this was happening.

And then I felt it.

The feeling from four years ago. The calming presence that was enveloping me. Only this time, it was more pronounced, and the effect amplified. My eyesight became so sharp that I was putting the new 4K resolution screens back home to shame. The constant pangs of hunger I've felt over the past year vanished. And the serenity that came with it gave me a renewed hope.

I began to re scan my surroundings, looking for a viable mark. Suddenly, I noticed a hooded figures head snap up and look in my direction, immediately heading this way.

I paid no mind to this, however, because of what I saw in the opening of his cloak when he turned my way. A grey tunic, tan pants, and shin high brown boots that looked pretty sturdy. Pretty common attire for someone living on the Smuggler's moon.

Except everything he wore was _clean_.

And that was most assuredly not common for those slumming it on the streets.

He continued heading this way, and I knew this was my one chance. I either made this work or went back empty handed, spelling the end of the line for my mother and me.

I tucked myself into a dark corner around the bend of the alley, trying to conceal myself in the shadows. It was late afternoon and the tall buildings cast plenty for me to choose from. I imagined myself blending in with the shadows, hoping my connection with the Force would help me remain concealed.

I could hear the footfalls of the figure approaching, and steeled myself for what was about to happen. In my mind's eye I could see the person walking towards me, and stepping around the corner.

That's when I chose to strike. I stepped out of the shadows, whipping the blaster up and holding it far steadier than a child my size had any right to, pointing it directly at the face of…. nobody.

There was nobody there.

Every fiber of my body screamed danger, everything felt wrong. And then I heard the noise. The most famous sound to come out of the Star Wars universe. And never did I think I'd be so terrified of hearing it.

 _Snap-hiss!_

I slowly turned, knowing that my only chance was to not spook whoever just activated a damn _lightsaber_.

And I was never more relieved see the eerie glow of grown chasing the shadows cast by the buildings away.

"You're a little young for a stick up, aren't you?" The Jedi said with an amused tone.

I didn't even hear him, so in awe was I of who this was. The glow of the weapon illuminated the recess of his hood, and gave me full view of his face, including the small horns protruding from his forehead and the two pony tails of black hair framing his face.

Holy shit.

Holy shit _fuck._

Eeth Koth smirked back at me, obviously finding my look of shock quite amusing. And then his face grew serious.

"Young one, did you see another pass through this alley? I felt a powerful presence in the…. Force…"

I completely ignored him and only slightly noticed that he was staring more intently at me. I finally got my senses back and grabbed at his hand that wasn't holding the lightsaber.

"I need your help, like _now._ My mother is very sick and I can't make her better, but maybe you could Master Jedi! Please, you have to help!"

Yeah, I hammed it up. I look like a 4 year old kid. I'm gonna use everything I have going for me.

The look on Koth's face turned sympathetic. "Is she far? I'm on a very important mission, but I will see what I can do to help."

Thank Christ I didn't get one of the self righteous Jedi that think themselves above the common prattle.

"She's not far, but we gotta hurry, come on!" I yelled, tugging on his sleeve and running out of the alley, retracing my steps back to where I left my mom.

I hadn't gone far, less than fifteen minutes later we were approaching the entrance to the alley that we had been living in. We passed a fruit stand, and I eyed some of the wares. The merchant eyed me right back, knowing of my history of sticky fingers. I decided to worry about it later, but Koth has other ideas.

"You look like you could use a bite to eat, and I think I wouldn't be remiss to assume that your mother could also use some food, hm?" I nodded. "Very good, why don't you go check on your mother then and I'll bring a snack for everyone and you can introduce me."

I nodded gratefully at him and turned towards the alleyway. As I was running there, though, I started hearing raised voices.

A pit formed in my stomach, and some part of me started screaming at me to _hurry!_

Just as I was about to round the corner, I heard the cry of a blaster.

No.

I was so close.

Not her, please not her.

I heard Koth activate his lightsaber and call out for me to wait. But I didn't. In a trance like state, I took the finals steps and rounded the corner into the alley.

The first thing I noticed was a group of what looked like Weequay and Rodians standing in the middle of the alley. They were all armed, so I assumed they were the thugs of one many Hutts that called Nar Shadda home.

At their feet, with a still smoking hole in her chest, was my mother.

The next 5 minutes were a blur.

One of them, a Weequay, noticed me at the mouth of the alley and pointed, saying, "Hey, that must be Kelborn's kid! We can't go back to Yalchundda empty handed, grab him!"

They rushed towards, intent on taking me to whoever it was that sent them after us. I didn't even notice though, I was still staring at my mother. Then a figure landed right in front of me, and all hell broke loose.

Koth started deflecting blaster bolts back into the crowd rushing at us, making sure that they only hit non lethal areas.

That wasn't good enough for me.

The calm feeling was gone, replaced by the most red hot, boiling rage I've ever felt in my life. I usually hate being angry, I hate how it feels. But this… this felt right. _Justified._

In that moment, my serenity was replaced by power. More than I'd ever felt before. I knew without a doubt I was not the predator in this alleyway, and it was time to make myself known.

With a roar, I brought my blaster to bear with a fluidity that was not conducive to my lack of formal training. The weapon felt as light as a feather, and seemed to be a part of me, an extension of my rage. I didn't even blink as I pulled the trigger.

Round after round left my gun, nearly every shot finding it's mark. As the bodies began to drop, Koth looked over at me in shock.

In his surprise, he failed to notice a Rodian towards the back of a group lining up a shot on him with a long range rifle. Even in my immense rage, I had a moment of clarity that told that if that Rodian got a shot off, Koth wouldn't react in time.

No, no more. These guys wouldn't take another life. No more killing, just _dying_!

On instinct I dropped my blaster, thrust both my hands forward, and _pushed_.

A wave of Force energy was sent down the alleyway, sending the thugs flying into the back wall. Once everything settled, they all lay still.

I smirked. But, as the rage began to recede, I saw the destruction caused by what I did. And then I saw something else. On top of the pile of bodies. I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. An emaciated body, with…. dark hair. Black hair. A woman.

My mother.

Then everything went black.

* * *

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

My eyes snapped open.

No.

 _No!_

I paid no attention to my surroundings, nor the beeping or the sharp pain on the side of my head. No, there was no disorientation this time when I came to. I remembered everything prior to my black out with sharp clarity. The anger, the death, calling on the Force…. My mother.

How could I could I be so careless! Was she alive? She was close to death before I, in my bloodlust, lost control and tossed her against a wall along with our attackers. The woman who raised and cared for me, even during the most terrible times, always only had my well being in mine. And I repaid that by dashing her against a wall. What kind of person does that? What kind of _monster_ did I turn into?

As the self loathing and the anger began to churn in my gut, that feeling returned. The righteous anger. The feeling of rightness, of vindication. It was the attackers fault. I only responded in kind. The feeling of power was returning, the feeling of being able to fix things, to destroy those who have wronged me.

I should get up, go back and find those thugs. And why stop there? They were sent by a Hutt. _Yalchundda._ I'll kill everyone involved in this!

As my thoughts turned more and more dark, I could feel the pressure in the room rising. This power that I could command, unlimited! Right at my fingertips! No one would harm me or mine again!

" _I'm so sorry, Tyris."_

My mind blanked.

My mother's… voice.

" _This isn't the life I wanted for you."_

At first, the voice only escalated my dire mood.

They took her from me! The most precious thing in my life. For I knew she was gone. Maybe it was the power I was calling on, but I _knew_ it. The last of my family, the last person in the universe who cared for me, was gone.

I would have my pound of flesh as recompense.

" _You deserve so much better."_

And then 20-year-old-brain me finally broke through the temper tantrum 4 year old me was having.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid!

My mother wouldn't want this for me! I'm sure she'd rather be dead than see her child of less than 5 years of age turn into a murdering psychopath! It would break her heart if she could see me now.

The rational part of my brain also realized that I was actively call on the Dark Side. There were some things that I'm sure the books and movies didn't get 100% right about the actual Star Wars universe, but the allure of the dark side of the Force was not one of them. It was pure, unadulterated power. Strong, unlimited, and, most tantalizing, _easy._

But, both of my mothers raised me better than that.

I took a breath. In the nose, out the mouth. I imagined that with every exhalation I was releasing my hatred and anger, knowing that it would do nothing but get me killed. I started focusing on the feeling of serenity I experienced just before meeting…. _Koth!_

I sat bolt upright, my negative emotions forgotten, and finally took a look at my surroundings. It was a medical room. A lot like the one my mother gave birth to me in. Only, it was much more compact, built more for convenience rather than comfort.

"Very impressive, child."

"What the hell?!" I hollered as I flew out of the bed and whipped around, coming face to face with Eeth Koth once more. He was sitting in a chair that just so happened to be in my blind spot from how I was lying in the medical bed. "C'mon man! You went through all that trouble to save my life, and now you're trying to end it with a heart attack?!"

The asshole Jedi - and failed - to cover up his amusement at my reaction.

"You don't really speak as most children your age," he said.

I gave him a hard glare. "Yeah, well you kind of have to grow up really fast when you're living on the streets of Nar Shadda."

"Oh, I am well aware of this."

Huh. I totally forgot that Koth hailed from Nar Shadda. In fact, if I'm remembering correctly I'm not much older than he was when he was discovered by the Order.

We sat there in silence for several seconds, sizing each other up. Or, at least as much as a little kid could size up a Jedi Master.

"What is your name?" He asked, finally breaking the silence.

"It's Tyris," I answered, trying to figure out where this was heading, and what I was going to do from here on out.

"Well met, Tyris. I am Eeth Koth, Master of the Jedi Order."

Another short silence ensued after the introductions. I thought about what I was going to say next. I'm pretty sure I know the answer to my next question, but I knew I had to ask it any ways.

"Is my mother…"

He nodded. "I'm deeply sorry for you loss, Tyris. I wish I could have arrived sooner," he said, with genuine regret displayed on his face.

"It wasn't your fault," I said in a quiet voice, staring at the floor. The next question was one I was dreading to ask.

"Was it because… I mean… Did I…?" I couldn't seem to get the words out. Though, it seemed Koth was able to see what I was getting at.

"No, young one. Your mother passed the moment she was shot. You had nothing to do with it."

While I won't say I'm relieved, it was a start, knowing that I wasn't the cause for her death.

"Her body is secured in the cargo hold, and will be preserved until a service can be held."

I gave him a look through narrowed eyes. "You make it sound like you're going to be sticking around for awhile," I said

He looked at me a moment. "You are quite perceptive for a child, Tyris, even for a Force-sensitive one. But, no, my time on the Smuggler's Moon has come to an end."

"So, what now?" I asked, with a hint of trepidation in my voice.

"Well, that's what I am here discuss with you right now. I know the events of the last day have been traumatic, we need to talk about what happened."

I nodded, but decided to let him start the conversation.

"When we first met, do you recall the circumstances?"

I snorted. "Yeah, I tried to stick you up and you somehow ninja'd yourself behind me."

Koth smiled. "Yes, though that is not what I wish to discuss. Do you know why I decided to approach the alleyway that you were hiding in?"

"I don't know, you saw a credit chit on the floor?" I snarked, wanting him to get to the point that I was pretty sure he was trying to make.

He rolled his eyes at my antics, but otherwise ignored my comment. "You called on the Force. Enough so that I could clearly sense it halfway across the market district. No easy feat for one young."

"Yeah, I'm pretty awesome," I said. Right after saying this, however, I realized I was being so sarcastic because I didn't want to face the fact that my mother was dead, and so I was bottling it all up for an epic uncorking at a later date. Oh, that'll be fun.

"Not the point. I was sent here based on rumors of a dark side force user causing trouble for some of the higher ups in the government." I snorted at the word 'government'. That word was synonymous with the Hutts on Nar Shadda. "But, you clearly don't match the description, and your presence in the Force at the time was far lighter than his would have been. Which leads me to the next topic. Do you understand what you did in the alleyway with the thugs? And what you almost did here upon waking?"

I sighed. "I called on the dark side of the Force."

"Wrong. You _gave in_ to the dark side of the Force. It guided your hand as you used that blaster, and gave you the power needed for the Force Push you used."

I shrugged. "I understand that. That realization is what helped me reject it this time just a few minutes ago. You still haven't answered my question though. What now?"

He gave me a calculating look before standing from his chair. "I won't force you to come with me, but I can't in good conscience leave a child to fend for himself on one of the most dangerous planets in known space. On top of that, I took a sample of your blood and did a midichlorian count while you were out. It's high enough that I'd like to take you before the Jedi Council and ask their advice. Again, you can say no at any point during this."

"Like, I'd be trained as a Jedi?"

"While you're older than what is strictly allowed, exceptions have been made. I will trust the wisdom of the council on this matter."

I eyed him. "Were you an exception?" I doubted that most Jedi raised since just after birth would be a sympathetic with me unless they could relate to my situation.

"...Your perception may get you into trouble one of these days," he laughed.

And so I agreed. He showed me around his ship. An _ETA_ -type transport shuttle, which had S-foils that folded down that immediately reminded me of the old _Lambda_ -class shuttles from the original movies. He said it was called the _Prism._

So, while the events leading up to this left a hole in my heart, I was excited to get away from this God-forsaken - Force-forsaken? - planet, and really get to experience the Star Wars universe. It wasn't even until I ran into Koth in that alley that I realized what era I was in. I could further narrow it down to either before or after Episode 1, since if the Clone Wars had already broken out, I'm sure I'd know about it.

Anyways, I sat down in the copilots chair, strapping myself in as best I could, giddy for my first jump to Hyperspace.

"Are you ready?" Koth asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

"Only one way to find out.." I responded.

* * *

Coming out of Hyperspace wasn't as smooth as I expected it to be. The movies and books don't really do a good enough job at explaining the absolutely massive deceleration you experience when reverting to normal space. The inertial dampeners do a good enough job at making sure your insides don't turn to jelly, but my unpreparedness resulted in me almost smacking my head on the console in front of the copilots chair. It's pretty odd hearing a Jedi Master snort.

However, I quickly forgot about the embarrassing end to my first Hyperspace journey. Out the main viewport was our destination. And man, the movies never quite did it justice.

Coruscant might as well have been the center of the Star Wars universe. Its importance far outstripped any other planet that has ever been introduced. No matter the military strength of any faction, whosoever flew their flag over this planet was universally recognized as the main superpower in the galaxy.

On top of all that, it truly was a marvel to see. The criss crossing patterns of the lights reminded me of crop circles back on Earth. And the glow of the billions of lights on the planet made it look like a floating crystal in the middle of space.

"Here we are, capital of the Republic," said Koth

"What can I expect when we land?" I asked, wanting to be prepared for the flurry of activity that was sure to occur when we arrived at the Temple.

"Well, before we do anything or meet with anyone, I'm taking you to the Halls of Healing. You're severely malnourished, and Healer Che would skin me alive if she knew I brought a child in your condition to the Temple and brought him to the council before taking him to see her. It will just be a quick fix though, then we'll be meeting with the council. Though I doubt your condition can be fixed so quickly, so we will most likely make a return visit after the meeting.

I leaned back in the chair, still trying to process what was happening. I was going to _the_ Jedi Temple. It's taking all my willpower and then some to not nerd all over Koths ship.

"Are they expecting us?" I asked

"Yes, I spoke to Master Yoda, the Grand Master of the order, while you were still unconscious. He agreed this was an important matter and so has called the Council to order. They will be expecting us when we arrive."

Woah. I mean, I'm sure getting a potential new apprentice for the Order is a big deal, but _Yoda_ big? There's something else going on here. Let's see what Koth is willing to divulge.

"Grand Master? Is it normal for kids not in the order to meet with him?"

Koth laughed. "If Master Yoda had his prerogative, he'd _only_ meet with children. He thinks the rest of us adults take everything to seriously and overcomplicate things. And he's normally right."

Well, that didn't tell me anything. Time to be a little more direct. But… I also wanted to try something. I _am_ Force-sensitive…. When in Rome, right?

I started taking deep breaths. I focused on the calm feeling I've associated to the Light Side the times I've tapped into it. I kept my even breathing going for five minutes, and still had felt no difference. Frustration started to creep in. However, this time, as soon as I became aware of it, I immediately purged the emotion. My mother deserves better than me acting like a child. Well… A smaller child I guess.

The second thoughts of my mom crossed my mind, the feeling returned. Everything felt right. It's like the world was dull before, and now it was vibrant and full of color. This was it.

I focused on keeping the feeling from fading, and when I was confident I wasn't going to lose it, I turned to Koth and asked my question.

"Why am I a special case? You said so yourself, I'm older than what is normally permitted for someone to begin training in the Order. Why am I meeting with the highest authority figure at the temple?" I asked. "I'm pretty sure that most new members are not given an audience with the council."

Koth paused. "While it is true that most new members of the Order do not meet with the council, they are usually less than one year of age. Nothing would be gained from either party during a meeting like that. The few times that an older child has been brought to the temple, they are normally met by some council members to determine if it is safe to train them."

A perfectly good answer. One that would withstand any kind of normal scrutiny. Good thing I'm not scrutinizing normally.

By the time he finished answering my question, a feeling of _wrongness_ was permeating me. The Force was telling me that what I was just told was not the whole truth. Koth was hiding something about my circumstances.

Well, it was cool to find out that I could do that, but it honestly didn't help me in any way other than letting me know that Koth was omitting some of the full story. I couldn't grill him about it, nothing I could do would force him to tell me. Not that I would ever force a Jedi Master to do anything.

I turned my attention back to what was happening outside of the viewport. During our conversation, we had approached the planet and now we were making our final descent through the atmosphere of the planet.

Several minutes later, I was looking at one of the coolest buildings in any fandom that's ever been created: The Jedi Temple. It looked like a giant, three dimensional trapezoid. On its face stood 5 spires, standing tall on the otherwise mostly flat surface. The four smaller towers were situated at every corner of the structure, with the tallest me right in the middle. Most people mistakenly assume the Jedi Council resides at the top of the middle tower, but I knew better. They were actually located in one of the shorter tower's at the southwestern end of the Temple. Coincidentally, that same tower also contained our landing pad.

Time both moved slowly and flew by while I was staring at the temple. I felt like some event was going to occur that was going to keep me from actually setting foot in this place, and then all of a sudden Koth was asking Temple Control for permission to land, and we were touching down on the landing pad.

I was frozen to my seat, even as Koth rose and got ready to exit out of the rear ramp. I heard him pause at the exit of the cockpit. I'm sure he could sense my anxiety, it was rolling off me in waves.

"Come, Tyris. I can't guarantee that this meeting will go as you are hoping, I can guarantee that you will be well taken care of and won't be forgotten. We must hurry to the Halls and get you checked out so that we may meet the Council."

I finally rose out of my seat. "What will be done with my mother?"

A look of sympathy crossed his face. "She will be moved with the utmost care to our morgue, where her body will be preserved until tonight, when we can hold a service for her. Is this agreeable to you?"

I nodded, not sure I'd be able to find my voice in this moment.

And so we disembarked, heading down the ramp, and seeing two hooded figures waiting for us at the entrance to the temple. Probably two Padawans who weren't on mission that had been assigned to watch over the landing pad.

Koth nodded at them as we entered the temple. Technically, we were almost directly below the chambers the Council used to convene, so I thought it was a tad silly that we were going elsewhere first. Luckily, the Halls of Healing were also located in the southwest wing of the Temple, so we didn't have far to go.

On the way there, we came across many Jedi going about their business. Some greeted us with a nod, or even a friendly wave in some cases, but many others were too engrossed on their tasks to pay us any mind.

Koth had to keep placing his hand on my shoulder and steering us to our destination. I just couldn't help it, I wanted to examine every inch of everything around me, drink in the fact that I was standing in this famed place. It was cut short, however, when we walked through a door into a room that was well lit with soft pastels coloring the walls. Behind a counter off to the side stood a… it was a Mon Calamari! Wow, they look _way_ better in real life than the puppets did in the original trilogy. The Mon Calamari's movements looked fluid and natural, though I kept expecting them to turn and yell 'It's a trap!'.

Wait a second… A Mon Cal in the Halls of Healing? Was this….?

"Greetings, Padawan Bant. It is good to see you again," Koth said with a slight bow.

"Master Koth, I am happy to see you in good health," the Mon Cal responded.

Bant! Holy shit! This is _the_ Bant! Best friends with Obi-Wan! This also confirmed that the universe I was in was following the lore of the Star Wars Legends universe. It also helped the timeline a little. She was still a Padawan, so it was either before episode one or directly after.

Someone clearing their throat brought me out of my nerdgasm, and I looked up at Master Koth, who had an expectant look on his face. He nodded towards Bant.

"Oh! I'm so sorry ma'am, how rude of me. My name is Tyris Kelborn, it's a pleasure to meet you," I said. This sounded way cooler in my head, but 4-year-old voices kind of put a damper on coolness factor. However, I did notice Koth start out of surprise in the corner of my eye.

"I'm impressed. Most human adults, let alone children, cannot tell the difference of gender in my species," Bant said, with what I could sense was amusement in her voice.

I decided to turn the charm factor up to 11. It's never too early to make friends, right?

"Ma'am, an elegant creature such as yourself could only be of the female persuasion. I'd never mistake otherwise," I said, laying it on pretty thick.

Her mouth fell open, and for a second I was worried that I had offended her. Then she tuned to Koth and, with a bark of laughter, said, "Oh. My. Force. He's the most adorable thing I've ever seen!"

Still got it.

Koth rolled his eyes. "Maybe so, but he is in poor condition and need to be tended to before we meet the council."

Bant gave me a once over and widened her eyes. She immediately stepped out from behind the counter and with a quick "Come this way" led us through a door into the actual medical room.

"Master Che! Please come quick!" She shouted towards the back of the medical room.

Bant ushered me to one of the many beds that lined the room and had me sit on the edge of it. She started activating the equipment around, presumably getting medical readouts and vitals.

While Bant was getting me prepped, I heard footsteps coming down the aisle between the rows of beds. A few seconds later, a light blue skinned Twi'lek entered my field of vision. If she were human, I'd assume she was in her mid to late thirties, but I have no idea if the aging process for Twi'leks was at all similar to humans.

"Master Koth," she nodded in greeting to him. "Padawan Eerin, what's the prognosis?"

"The patient is severely malnourished, Master. Dehydrated, low blood sugar, and his hypertension seems to imply a serious lack of sleep," Bant replied.

Wow, they could tell all that and there was nothing hooked up to me?

"Also, it appears that due to severe lack of food, the ingestion of a significant amount in the last day is causing the patient to have stomach cramps."

So what? I had a stomach ache. Just cause I look like a child doesn't mean i had to whine about anything.

Che whirled on Koth. "What took you so long getting here? And why didn't you monitor his food intake if you knew he hadn't been eating right? Did you even think about setting up an IV to get him fluids?"

Koth took several steps back, raising his hand in a placating manner. "Master Che… I… I was focused on my findings and I… didn't think…"

"You're damn right you didn't think. Now, go continue your lack of thought out front where I don't have to hear the wind whistling between your ears anymore," she said, turning around and dismissing with a small wave of her hand.

I couldn't contain the snort that came out of me. If I was remembering Koth's history correctly, I'm pretty sure he's far older than Healer Che, but you wouldn't have been able to tell with the major dressing down she just delivered.

"Oh, wrecked!" I snickered.

Koth gave me a glare, and as he turned to walk back into the reception area, he threw a small wave at me. I was a little confused at first because it didn't look like a parting wave. At least, I was confused until I felt what strangely felt like a flick on the nose with no apparent source.

A…. a Jedi Master just used the force to flick a laughing child. The absurdity of the situation made me laugh all the harder. Until I got cuffed on the back of the head.

"Enough, child, your mirth is making our job difficult. Sit still while we make sure you don't wither away in front of the Masters," Che said sternly.

And just like that, I was reminded that in a few short minutes I would be meeting with arguably the most important group of people in the galaxy.

* * *

I entered the reception room a while later to find Koth waiting by the door.

"How do you feel?" He asked

"Better than before, still not great. But I'm not sure if that's due to my health or my nerves about meeting with the Council."

Koth gave me an appraising look. "It is quite unnerving how your visage and your mannerisms do not seem to correlate in the slightest."

I once again just shrugged it off. "I'm just a pretty smart kid, I guess."

He laughed. "Yeah, the fact you understood even half of what I just said only proves that point."

What? I wasn't going to waste energy trying to pretend I'm a normal little kid. I'm not. And besides, I'm in the _Jedi Temple._ If people had to take bets on where the smartest 4-year-old was, I'm pretty sure the safe bet would be in the Order.

We arrived at an elevator that was just down the hallway from the Halls. Koth pushed the call button and waited quietly next to me. The fifteen or so seconds it took to arrive felt like a lifetime. This is crazy. I'm seconds away from having my fate decided in this galaxy.

We stepped into the elevator, and I think that Koth could tell I was having a private freak out. He placed a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eye.

"Remember, you don't need to try to impress anyone. Just answer their questions truthfully, and be confident in yourself. If they ask something you aren't comfortable answering, you are under no obligation to answer."

Wow, his speech was actually making me feel much better.

"But, keep in mind, they will be the ones to decide your future at this temple."

Thanks asshole.

He looked at me one last time as the elevator doors opened and we stepped towards the door to the council chamber.

"Don't forget, Tyris, you aren't alone in there. You have the Force, through which your mother is watching you, even now. And I will be there as well," He said with a reassuring smile.

I nodded at him, grateful for the support. I looked back towards the large doors, took deep breath, and stepped forwards, watching as the doors slid apart.

Here we go.

…. I hope they don't notice I haven't brushed my teeth.

* * *

 **Well, there you go. What do you guys think? Let me know in the reviews. I've chosen to go with the Legends version of the Star Wars universe. There's just so much more lore and backstory for me to use. The first two chapters are pretty heavy on the exposition. Going forward, we should get a lot more of the fun stuff, as well as meeting lots of familiar faces. Like I said, this is my first story I've ever written. I was actually reading the fic The Spider under the Avengers section and wondered why there wasn't a good SI fic for Star Wars, and decided to see if maybe I could provide that for people. Don't hold back on the criticism though, it'll only help me in the long run. Thanks guys, see you next time!**

 **-Teee-Jay**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Wars. Duh

* * *

As we stepped over the threshold of the door to the Council chamber, I was sure the sound of my pounding heartbeat preceded Koth's and my arrival.

Is this really happening? I'm actually here, the moment's arrived. I still half expected something to happen that would prevent this from occurring. What are they going to think of me? I mean, I'm way older than is normal, there's no actual way this—

When did I get here? I'm in the middle of the damn chamber. My feet went on autopilot and carried me right to this spot while I was inner-monologuing.

I turned to look at Koth for some reassurance— hopefully without the assholeness this time — and discovered the scariest thing I've seen since Koth scared the shit out of me when we first met. Only, this time, it was the complete _absence_ of him that had me terrified.

I started to panic, and then heard footsteps walking away from me. I turned around, and had my terror only amplified. There was Koth, with his back turned to me, slowly walking to one of the sides of the room. But this wasn't just a normal side — can there be sides in a circular chamber? — because this side was occupied by an object that I'm sure is going to haunt my dreams for many years to come.

The object of my fears? One empty Council chair.

 _Son_ of a _bitch!_ How the hell did I forget? Eeth Koth was one of the higher profile Council members as well as one of it's longest serving members. Well, if you don't include the members that could live for _centuries_. And I was totally unprepared to be alone in the center of 12 of the most powerful living beings in existence right now.

I started looking around, taking stock of the influential heavy weights who all had their attention on me. Plo Koon, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Saesee Tiin, the bearded snake dude whose name I can't remember, the Kaminoan looking dude whose name I also can't remember…

My internal listing came to a halt when my eyes finally landed on Eeth Koth once more. He had his left arm resting on the chair, with his right ankle resting on his left knee cap, and his right hand held up in front of his mouth in a fist. The image of inquisitive nonchalance. However, when we made eye contact, he gave me the slightest nod, but otherwise didn't acknowledge me in any way.

But, that nod was all I needed. It was like I just got thrown back in time several minutes.

 _"Don't forget, Tyris, you aren't alone in there. You have the Force, through which your mother is watching you, even now."_

And so I took a deep breath, and searched for the calming feeling I was quickly starting to become accustomed to. And it came far easier this time than when I tried to discover if Koth wasn't telling the truth. I let the feeling permeate throughout my body before turning back around.

I bowed before the council. "Well met Masters. My name is Tyris Kelborn," I said, trying to make it not sound silly that a small child addressed them in such a formal way. As I straightened, I noticed surprised looks on most of the council members. No doubt they didn't expect a young child to be so well spoken. However, in my heightened state, I sensed that not all the masters' surprise came from my vernacular. In fact, I sensed very intense scrutinization from the master know for stern glares and blunt statements.

"Kelborn? Isn't that a Mandalorian name? You did not mention this in your report Eeth," said Mace Windu, and _holy shit he looks exactly like Samuel L. Jackson!_ I don't know what I was expecting, but, I mean come on, it's Sam Jackson! I half expected every other word out of his mouth to be _Mutha Fucka!_

"I was not aware of this information until just over a half hour ago," replied Koth. Huh, so that's why he looked surprised when I introduced myself to Bant.

"There aren't many left in the galaxy, and most of them are bounty hunters or common thugs," said Beard-Snake Dude.

"Master Rancisis, please! If we stereo-typed species regularly I'm nearly positive yours would never have been allowed in the Republic. Do not judge the poor child by his culture," scolded Master Adi Gallia.

 _Tap tap tap._

That noise was quite soft, but it might as well have been a blaster shot into the ceiling for the effect it had on the room. All eyes turned to the wielder of the stick.

"Have silence, we will. The discussion of the child's parentage, saved for another time it will be," Master Yoda said, and his tone of voice belied the fact that we all got the message that no argument otherwise would be brokered. "Commend you, I'd like to, for finding your peace so quickly at the start of the meeting. Meeting twelve Jedi Masters, very intimidating it can be. And with everything you've been through, impressive it is that you have found inner peace at all."

The amount of respect this guy got was actually insane. However, my newfound confidence through the Force had me feeling bold. Let's see how many times I can surprise the Council.

"To be honest, Master Yoda, my one goal for this meeting is to make sure that I don't lose my lunch from all the spinning around I'll have to do to speak to you all. The way the chamber is set up isn't very convenient for the guest," I said, excited to see the different reactions that caused.

Sure enough, I saw the full range. Disappointment, to shock, outrage, indifference, to even a suspect sounding cough that I could've sworn came from Depa Billaba. A loud smack signified Koth face palming at my antics. Amidst all this, my favorite reaction was Mace Windu. It looked like he was trying to swallow one of the Warhead candies from Earth, and it got stuck on the way down.

I knew that if I started laughing at anyone that would be going one step too far, so I allowed myself a smirk but nothing else.

However, Master Yoda had no such reservations and was silently laughing, his tiny shoulders shaking up and down either at me or the reactions of the other Masters, I wasn't sure.

"No, convenient it is not, I suppose. Sure, I am, that manage you will, however," said Yoda.

"Yes, let's get back on track, shall we?" Said Plo Koon, though I could detect some amusement tinging his voice.

Master Windu nodded. "Agreed. So, Tyris Kelborn. Do you understand why we are having this meeting?"

Alright, having-fun-with-the-Council time was over, time to be serious. I had to make sure they decided to keep me around.

"I'm being judged on whether or not I fit the criteria to begin training as a Jedi," I said.

Again, another ripple of surprise worked its way around the chamber. I definitely did not sound my age.

Mace assessed me for a second longer. "Indeed. Do you know the reason for our hesitation."

"It has something to do with my age I'm pretty sure."

"And do you know the dangers age presents when starting training?"

Jesus, what is this, twenty questions? I opened my mouth to answer, but stopped myself. I probably shouldn't know _everything_.

"No, Master Windu," I replied, waiting for what his most assuredly long winded explanation was going to be. I wasn't disappointed.

"As one grows older, attachments begin to form with others that you grow close to. Normally, in any other circumstance, these attachments are a good, healthy thing for people to have," he explained. "However, in the case of Jedi, attachments can be very dangerous. They can lead to jealousy and anger, such as the loss of a friend, which are of the dark side," He began.

I knew how flawed this was. It was based on the Jedi Code, which was actually a misprint of the original Code where Jedi were encouraged to have families and love one another, just as long as they maintained a level of peace so as to avoid the Dark Side. I'm pretty sure Yoda suspected as much, since the Order was quite lax on personal relationships compared to past iterations. At least with non-romantic relationships, that is.

Before he had a chance to continue, I decided to try and get some gears turning about the unrealism of the Code.

"So, Jedi don't have friends?" I asked, hoping people just saw a child asking an innocent question, rather than the ulterior motives I had.

Mace faltered, but only for a second.

"Obviously, we don't expect the members of the Order to be unfeeling and cold. Friendships are common among Jedi, especially so between Master and Apprentice. However, these relationships come with the understanding that one day the other person may leave us forever. These situations must be handled with tranquility and the understanding that this is the Will of the Force."

"Oh, so Jedi _can_ have friends, they just aren't aloud to care when they die?" I asked.

I got a hard glare from Mace, and wondered if maybe I had taken it just a little to far. However, I also noticed Master Yoda giving me an odd look. I tried to use my connection to the Force to figure out what he was feeling. I couldn't get anything though.

"The point is, child, negative emotions are incredibly dangerous for Jedi to have. They are to be purged. We don't expect you to not feel them, but to understand that these feelings need to be let go and _never_ acted upon," Mace finally said, allowing me to breathe a little easier.

I nodded. "I understand, Master."

"And it doesn't appear that he is just saying that," said Koth. "The boy has lost both parents, his mother only two days ago, but other than the moment that the act occurred, he has kept his emotions in check and maintained a peace that is quite uncommon in one his age."

"Given the circumstances, it is quite impressive," Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up for the first time.

Kaminoan-Looking-Dude finally decided to put his thoughts forward. "It is impressive, but I feel that this is still not sufficient enough information for us to begin to make a decision on. Master Koth, I believe when you said the young one had a high midichlorian count, you never did give an exact number. Perhaps this could help some of the masters come to a decision one way or another."

I liked what he had to say, but the head swaying was a little distracting. And he spoke in a very slow, deliberate manner. Almost like every word started at the base of his incredibly long neck and had to travel the full distance to his mouth before it was heard.

I, like everyone else in the chamber, turned to Koth for his answer. He didn't give it at first, however, and just quietly stared at me in contemplation. Then he sighed, and sat straighter in his chair.

A feeling of dread formed in my stomach. What was he going to say? Was this it? First day here and I'm already going to get kicked out?

"Thirteen thousand."

Oh man, that's it, I'm outta here, it's all…. Wait, what?

"His midichlorian count was over 13,000."

I made sure to keep my surprise off my face. The fact that I was actively channeling the Force helped me keep a neutral face. I wasn't supposed to know what midichlorians are, let alone the fact that the number Koth just gave was over _twice_ as much as the average Jedi Knight.

The masters around the room, though, did not need to hide their astonishment at this new revelation. Open looks of shock were the common theme. Mace even widened his eyes a tiny, miniscule, microscopic…. Shut up, I saw it.

Nobody seemed to have anything to say, and I was impatient to figure out the rest of my life here.

"So…. is that a bad thing?" I asked, glancing around the room.

Mace turned to Yoda. "Master, perhaps we should discuss this new information without the kid present?"

Before Yoda could answer either way, he was beat to the punch by another source.

"Oh cut it out, Mace. Tell the boy the truth, he deserves to know his own circumstances," said Depa Billaba.

"Agree with Master Billaba, I do. Master Koth, the uniqueness of the boys circumstances, explain to him please," Yoda said, making a decision. The way Mace sat back in his chair basically screamed that he did not agree with this decision. I tried to not take it personally, everything I've ever learned about Mace Windu is that he's a hardass with everyone, except maybe Yoda and Billaba. The former because, well, he's Yoda, and the latter because she was his first Padawan.

I turned to Koth with an expectant look.

"The required midichlorian count for the Order to be contacted about possible recruitment is at least 3,000, though those with this low of a count usually are put into the AgriCorps, a place where initiates that lack the required grasp of the Force are sent to help the galaxy in more mundane ways. The average for a Jedi Knight is between 6 and 7 thousand," Koth said. "Thirteen thousand, with no training, and at the age of four no less, is nearly unheard of."

Koth subtly glanced over at Yoda. "It's been over 800 years since we've seen a count this high before training has even started."

I looked at Koth. "So that's what you were hiding when we talked on the shuttle ride over."

"What are you talking about," he asked in confusion.

"When I asked why I was a special case, you said something about how most potential members were much younger than me, but I could feel that you were omitting some of the truth," I stated, matter of factly.

However, this was not just brushed over by Koth.

"You knew I was leaving something out?" I nodded. "How, I even used the Force to mask my feelings, the only way you could have known is if…." His sentence trailed off and he once again was looking at Master Yoda.

When I turned to also look at the small green Jedi, I was surprised at the intensity that he was staring at me with.

"Interesting revelation, this is, hmmm," he said, with his trademarked high pitched hum. "Test this theory we need to. Tell me, young Tyris, sense what the masters in the chamber are feeling, can you?"

I was a little confused about the request, but decided to give it a go. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, and focused on opening myself further to the Force. When I opened my eyes, I began focusing on each master to see what I could glean from them.

"Well, Master Rancisis is feeling impatient and Master Billaba feels curious. Master Koth is exasperated, though slightly proud? Master Windu is…. Amused? That can't be right. And I can't get anything from you Master Yoda," I said, worried that what I came up with wasn't going to be good enough. Also made sure to only talk about the Masters whose names I'd heard during the meeting. It wouldn't do to go calling them by names I shouldn't know.

And then I noticed the silence. There wasn't so much looks of surprise, but more of confusion, especially from the ones that I read. Even Master Windu looked a little taken aback.

"Master Yoda, what—"

"An empath," Kaminoan-Looking-Dude said so quietly I almost didn't hear it.

"What was that, Master Poof?" Asked Adi Gallia.

"An empath, the boy is. Feel the emotions around them, most Force adepts can, with a little training. However, sense feelings and emotions, as well as why someone is feeling them, an empath can. Incredibly rare skill, it is. Sensing emotions at such a young age, sign of being an empath it is," Yoda said.

"Hmph, not likely. His overabundance of midichlorians has probably just over developed him," said Rancisis, with one of the most condescending tones I've ever heard in either of my lives.

"Hmmm, just because it turned out you weren't, Master Rancisis, impossible for the boy, it is not." Yoda stated. Rancisis looked properly scolded.

"Master Yoda, I think this may be one revelation to many for one day. I think I speak for the rest of the Masters when I say that I would like some time to sleep and meditate on these recent developments," Even Piell, who up until this point had not spoken, said.

"I second Master Piell. Not only that, but Tyris needs to return to Healer Che soon. He puts on a good face, but I'm pretty sure he needs some food and rest," said Koth.

Yoda glances around the room, probably seeing if anyone had any objections. Nobody spoke up, so he nodded.

"Break for the rest of the day, we shall. Reconvene tomorrow, we will. However, Council only, that meeting will be. Stand before us in two days time, Tyris Kelborn will. Show you back to the Halls of Healing, Master Koth will. Come and get you, a Padawan will, to show you to your room. Adjourned, this meeting of the council is. May the Force be with you."

This was echoed by the rest of the masters. Gradually, everyone stood, and began to converse with one another. It wasn't long before Master Koth stood before me once again.

"Let's go _dik'ut,_ I don't want Vokara to come looking for us," said a tired looking Master Koth.

I looked up at him. "What did you just call me?"

The word sounded vaguely familiar, and I was pretty sure it was an insult.

"It means idiot," he laughed. Of course it does. "It's from your native tongue. I thought you'd appreciate it."

"Ha. Haha, ha." I abruptly stopped and started patting all my pockets. "Oh damn, that was my allotment of ha's for the day. Pity, that joke deserved so many more…" I said, shaking my head in sarcastic regret at the end.

"Alright smart guy. You better watch yourself," he said, with a small smirk. And with that we entered the turbolift.

I'm so happy that's over with.

* * *

Master Koth dropped me off at the Halls of Healing, and left as quickly as possible so as to not incur further wrath from Healer Che. Bant was excited to see me back and we were able to talk some while I was being treated. Unfortunately, I needed fluids and I was going to be tube fed for the first two days until my stomach got used to having a normal amount of food in it again. And, even in a hyper-advanced society like this one, there's still only one way to get fluids and nutrients directly into your blood stream: needles and tubes.

It took just over a half hour for me to finish my meal. The sky was beginning to darken outside. If this was Earth I'd say it was between 6 and 7 at night. Which probably is pretty accurate, considering Coruscant's night and day cycle is very similar to Earth's.

Bant helped me back out into the reception area after she got me unhooked from my tubes. I was going to have to return here several times a day for the next two days to receive my meals. As I sat waiting for whoever was going to show me my room, I finally realized how dog tired I was. My limbs felt incredibly heavy, and I thought I was going to have to tape my eyelids open to stay awake. It reminded me of our two-a-day conditioning practices for basketball while I was in college. We would have to get kicked out of the trainer's room because we'd fall asleep while we were taking ice baths. Do you know how hard it is to fall asleep while taking a damn ice bath?

However, all of my fatigue went flying out of my body when the entrance to the Halls _whooshed_ open and in walked one of the most famous faces in the entire Star Wars universe.

"Hey, Bant! I'm supposed to pick up a youngling from here and show him to a room," Obi-Wan Kenobi said, flying into the Halls without any of the preamble that a character of his caliber deserved.

Suddenly, a stapler just up and lifted off the reception counter and flew straight at Obi-Wan's head. I was about to shout a warning when he just nonchalantly grabbed it out of mid-air without batting an eye, like it was an everyday occurrence.

"No shouting in the Halls, Kenobi!" Che shouted from somewhere in the back.

Huh, maybe it did happen every day.

Bant was stifling her giggles behind one of her hands from where she was standing at the reception desk. She gestured towards me, and Obi-Wan and I locked eyes for the first time. He gave me a small wink before looking back towards where Che's voice had come from.

"Isn't it a little hypocritical for shouting at someone because they were shouting?" Obi-Wan hollered in reply, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"What was that Kenobi? You'd like extra training sessions with Master Bondara? That's so dedicated of you, I'm sure I can help get that arranged!"

Almost immediately a look of panic came over Obi-Wan's face, and before I knew it I was being lifted out of my chair by my arm and led out of the Halls. Bant was no longer trying to hide her laughter, and loud guffaws could be heard coming from the reception desk.

"Goodnight, Bant! Thank you for everything today!" I called before Obi-Wan had me halfway down the hallway as he beat his hasty escape.

When he felt safe enough he slowed down to a normal pace, before stopping and finally turning towards me. Though I was in slight awe about meeting this man, I didn't miss the amused stares he was getting from most of the people we just hurried past. However, this was huge! Not only was this man one of the few bright spots about the prequel trilogy— at least in my opinion — but he also was still wearing his Padawan braid. He was immediately Knighted after the events of Episode one, wherein he defeated Darth Maul. So we were definitely pre-Episode 1. I probably wouldn't have a firm grasp on the timeline until the events of that movie started.

"Sorry about that, but you don't understand how brutal of a slave-driver Bondara is. I may have pushed her to far this time," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, staring absently at the floor. Eventually, whenever he was done imagining whatever tortures Bondara was going to come up with, his eyes focused on me. "My apologies. I am Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi, and I'm here to show you where you'll be staying for the time being," he said with a bow.

I returned the bow. "It is nice to meet you Padawan Kenobi. My name is Tyris Kelborn, thank you for assisting me."

Obi-Wan started waving his hands back and forth. "Please, Obi-Wan is fine. No need to be so formal."

"Alright then, Obi-Wan. Where are we heading?" I asked

"Well, we've got a bit of a ways to go."

"What, why? I feel like I'm just gonna keel over right here," I whined, actually sounding my physical age.

"Well, we are currently in the southwest wing, which has the Halls and the Jedi Council chambers, along with our main hangar bay. The dormitory is located in the northeast wing, directly on the other side of the temple," he replied.

I groaned loudly.

"How did you get stuck with being my guide? It seems like a pretty mundane task for a senior Padawan," I said.

"Well, master Qui-Gon and I are in between missions right now so I wasn't doing much to begin with," he replied, before giving me a calculating gazy. "Have you ever been told you don't really speak like someone your age?"

I rolled my eyes. The years until I was old enough that people would stop saying that to me could not go by fast enough.

"Once or twice," I said absentmindedly. "If it makes you feel any better, I turn five in a few days."

"Oh? That's great! What day?"

I opened my mouth to answer, but had nothing to say. I never really paid attention to the date on the days we celebrated because the date system in a galaxy where each planet has a different year-length was so confusing. So, I decided to just go with a version of the truth.

"I'm actually not quite sure. We weren't always able to celebrate on the exact day, so we'd just celebrate the next time we found food. I just know that by this time next week I'll be five."

I definitely did not realize how depressing that was until I saw the concerned look on Obi-Wan's face when I looked over.

"Anyways," I said, wanting to change the subject, "can you show me around a little bit on the way to my room."

"Of course! Anywhere specific you'd like to see?" He asked, all too eager to change the subject from the doom and gloom or my life before coming to the Temple.

I knew exactly where I wanted to go, but I shouldn't know about it yet. So, instead I said, "How about you show me your favorite place to go while you are here?"

He smiled and gave me a nod.

I never really thought about how big the Temple must be until I was actually walking through it. We did eventually make it to the destination I asked him to show me; the Room of a Thousand Fountains. He even showed me the spot that him and Bant would go to to go swimming sometimes. I knew that I would be spending a lot of time in here, assuming the Council didn't decide to kick me out.

The sun was just winking out of sight when we finally reached our destination.

"Alright, this is where I bid you a good night, Tyris. It was very nice to meet you. Your belongings from Master Koth's ship have been brought here, as well as a fresh set of clothes. There's a shower as well, so that you may freshen up before you turn in for the night. There are always Knights and senior Padawans walking the halls at night, so if you need anything, just stick your head out and flag one down. Someone will be by in the morning to bring you to breakfast."

I again thanked him, and with a parting bow, he was gone. I was a little confused about what he meant by belongings, however. I didn't have anything except the clothes on my back and….

Oh. As I walked into the room (which I assumed was for important delegates staying at the temple since it was more posh than I would expect a room that a Jedi lives in) I saw my father's S-5 on the side table. I slowly walked over to it. It had been cleaned, but the power pack had been removed, rendering it a fancy paperweight.

I was relieved actually. The last time I had touched this weapon I had killed several people. It would probably be a while before I was willing to use it again.

I took advantage of the facilities. I don't remember the last time I was able to take a shower until the hot water ran out. Any time my mother and I were lucky enough to break into an empty apartment and use the shower, we had to do it as fast as possible and get out in case we had set off any alarms.

I exited the bathroom and took a look at the clothing they had provided me. Someone must have just said that a 4-year-old guest needed clothing, but forgot to add that I have measurements that more closely resembled a 7-year-old. The clothing itself was fine. Just a plain brown tunic, tan pants, and brown boots. Basically a child's version of what Eeth Koth had been wearing when I met him. The sleeves were too short, so I rolled them up so it didn't look as ridiculous. The pants barely reached my ankles, but it didn't matter, because the boots would cover the bottom of my legs, so no one would notice that anyways.

Just as I was thinking about maybe going to sleep extra earlier tonight, a soft tone emanated from the door to the halway. I wasn't sure who it was, and I was really hoping it wasn't someone coming to say I needed to check in here or take some stuff there.

I was quite surprised, though, when I opened it to find Koth waiting at the door.

"Master Koth, I didn't expect to see you again until I was to come before the Council."

He gave me a surprised look. "I think that's the first time you've ever called me Master," he said.

I shrugged. "You've done more than I could have ever asked of anyone for me. I know I haven't been the easiest kid to be around, but I really do owe my life to you. I suppose I figured it was time to start showing you the proper respect.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "I only wish that I could have done more for you, Tyris. I didn't know your mother, but from what you have said, I'm sure she'd be immensely proud of how you have handled everything that's been thrown your way," he said, with a small, reassuring smile. "Speaking of your mother, are you still up to having her service tonight?" He asked gently.

Crap. I was so exhausted I had forgotten. Every part of my body screamed at me to say now, that one more day wouldn't make a difference. But she deserved better than that. She had endured so many hardships for the both of us. I wasn't going to make her wait one more day before she could truly be at peace.

"Yes, Master Koth. It's time that her body was put to rest."

He nodded once at me. "Here. Jedi don't really do formal wear, but I figured this was better than nothing," he said, as he pulled out a small black robe, much like the ones the full fledged Jedi wore. I nodded my thanks.  
"One last thing I need to ask. Are you ok if this is an open service, or would you like to keep it private?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused about the question.

"One thing you need to understand about Jedi is that even though we are supposed to avoid attachment, we cherish all life. Anytime the Force is snuffed out of a living being, all Jedi mourn. What I'm asking is if it would bother you if other Jedi joined to watch the service."

I almost immediately said no. They didn't know her like I did, no one did. But as I thought about it, I realized how selfish that thinking was. No, no one else knew her like I did, but it was so rare to find anyone anywhere that that of life as so precious that they would mourn those they had never known. I would not deny those who valued life above all else the chance to mourn a life lost.

"Everyone is welcome," I said in a quiet voice. "My mother would've loved to have it that way."

Koth looked slightly surprised to hear my answer, but nodded with a smile. "I will let Master Yoda know." He did so by pulling out a comlink and having a short conversation. While he was doing this, I stuffed my feet into my too small boots and tried on the black robe Koth gave me. It was the only thing that actually fit me well, which made sense, since Master Koth had seen me enough to be able to tell if something would fit me just by looking at it. I figured I'd give it until a decision was made on whether or not I'd be staying, and then ask for clothes that actually fit.

I walked back to the entrance of my room and saw Koth finish up his conversation.

"Come," he said. "We are going to retrieve your mother's body and walk it to the meditation balconies, which is where the service will be held."

I gave a nod and followed him out the door. I decided to leave the hood of my robe down so that no one would mistake me for an actual Jedi.

We made the long trek back to the Halls of Healing, which, naturally, is where the Jedi had their morgue. It was a very small morgue, situated behind the room where I was going to be getting treated for my malnourishment. It only had three bays to store bodies, probably only there so there was a place to preserve them until whatever service was being planned. When we arrived, we were greeted by Healer Che. It seemed that Bant was off for the night.

She gave us a nod when we entered, and motioned us to follow her. We strode through the treatment room and reached another automatic door towards the back, which opened into the morgue. However, I was incredibly surprised to find what looked like a floating gurney, on which laid…. My mother. And not how I had last seen her.

She looked like she did back before my dad went missing. Full of color and life, a smile never far from her face. I don't know what kind of makeup they had in this universe, or if Master Che used some Force healing technique that just repaired all the cosmetic damage. She was even wearing some nice clothing, a style that she may have even picked out herself had she been able to. Man, I didn't think the water works would come this easy.

I glanced up at Che, but she seemed to be avoiding making eye contact with me, possibly out of embarrassment. Well, that just wouldn't do. I reached up and grasped her hand until she finally made eye contact with me. Once she did, I decided to use some of my previous knowledge of Star Wars to try and convey my gratitude.

I moved in front of her until we were facing each other, and then extended my hands toward her, open fisted, with my palms facing each other.

"I don't remember what to say, but my mother once told me this was how you showed someone you respected them on Ryloth," I said, not having to fake the nervousness in my voice. My memory was pretty shaky on this, but I was pretty sure I had it right.

Her mouth dropped open in disbelief, and I knew that I had remembered correctly.

" _Kei'nata tun_ , child. I respect you as well," she said, in a very raspy voice. After she said this, she placed her hands, palms touching, between mine. I closed my hands around hers as best I could, and squeezed, trying as hard as I could to make her understand how much everything she had done for me meant. It seemed to work, because it seemed like she was tearing up.

I gave her a nod, and let go of her hands. Turning back to Koth, I said, "Let's go."

The gurney worked exactly as you would expect. I was at the front, pulling it along, while Koth was at the back, making sure we didn't bump into anything. There was zero resistance due to the repulsor engines that kept it afloat. It was a lot like a funeral back home, where several people would carry the casket to the front of the service.

In no time, it seemed, we were arriving at our destination. There was a quiet murmur that could be heard, probably from the Jedi that decided to attend. The meditation balconies were situated at the base of the middle tower of the temple, which housed the Hall of Knights. We rounded the last corner and left the interior of the Temple, and stepped out on the Balconies. I was almost struck dumb by what I saw.

I figured a few people would come. Master Koth wouldn't have asked if he didn't think anyone else would come. But there was no room whatsoever, except for a path between some of the Jedi that had been left that led towards a circular area that contained the funeral pyre. It was so packed I was worried someone was going to accidentally bump someone else and turn on their lightsaber.

Master Koth quietly cleared his throat behind me, trying to get my attention back to why we were here. I gathered myself and we made our way down the path towards the pyre.

When we made it there, Koth motioned me to stop towards the middle of the circle.

"This is it, Tyris. If you have anything you want to say before we light the pyre, say it now."

I looked at my mother, who honestly looked like she was just taking a peaceful snap. You'd think I should come up with something heartfelt and meaningful. I was trying to come up with the words, when I realized that having to think so hard about it probably meant it wasn't heartfelt. So I said what came to mind. Something I knew I'd never be able to say enough.

"Thank you, mom. I love you. I promise I'll make you and dad proud."

I nodded at Master Koth, who indicated for me to wait where I was. He and Vokara guided the gurney up to the pyre. The pyre was a very tightly wound mass of dark sticks and twigs, made almost to look like a cradle. It had a 'bed', where the body would be lain, while the edges of the pyre rose above the bed, so that when the fire really got going, the effects it had on the body would be blocked from view.

Apparently, the gurney they were using worked a lot like the emergency ones EMT's used back on Earth. They situated the gurney so that it was over the bed of the pyre, and then began to lower it until the whole gurney was resting on the pyre. Then, after what seemed like some fiddling by Che, they pulled the gurney apart, gently sliding my mother's body onto the pyre, and then removing both halves of the gurney. These were placed aside, and then Master Koth and Che retook their places to my right. An eerie silence settled over the balcony, until one of the hooded figures surrounding the pyre stepped forward and approached me. From under their robe they pulled what looked like an old fashioned torch, and handed it to me.

I held it up with both hands. The damn thing was almost as big as me! However, I held it steady, and the hooded figure produced a flint and steel, using it to light the torch. When the torch caught fire, it threw enough light on the figure for me to make out it's face. It was Mace Windu. After he made sure the torch wasn't going to falter, he nodded to me, and returned to his place.

I looked back at the pyre and noticed a hole at the base, where the torch was to be placed so the fire could start in the middle and burn everywhere evenly. I approached the pyre, and careful not to burn myself or set my robe on fire, slid the torch as far into the hole as possible, and then returned to my original spot.

As the fire began to catch, it illuminated the first row of Jedi directly around the pyre. I took a look around and realized that it seemed most of the council members were in attendance. I even noticed Yoda and Yaddle, the two small statured Jedi standing next to one another.

It wasn't until five minutes later, when the pyre had become a small inferno, that I noticed I had tears streaming down my face. I raised one of my sleeved arms to wipe the moisture away. Not much longer after that, I felt a hand fall upon my left shoulder. I turned to see who it was and was greeted by the smiling face of Bant, with Obi-Wan right beside her. And, to my great surprise, their masters, Kit Fisto and Qui-Gon Jinn, were standing right behind them.

I gave Bant and Obi-Wan a nod, and then turned my attention back to the pyre.

Over the next half hour, the fire burned bright and fierce. I let my tears run freely, and thought about all the times I was happy with my mother, and all the times she truly showed me how much she loved me. I would miss her greatly, but knew that she would want me to move on with my life, and find true happiness.

Just before the last of the fire went out, I glanced around, and it seemed there wasn't a dry eye on the balcony.

I felt Koth's hand once more on my shoulder.

"We will make sure her remains are taken care of. You need to rest. Bant and Obi-Wan will take you back to your room," He whispered in my ear.

I felt Bant tugging me towards the path that we had used to enter the area containing the pyre. With one last glance at the pile of ash that remained, I turned and walked with Bant and Obi-Wan back into the temple.

It seemed like seconds later that we were at the door to my temporary room. Numb wasn't the right word for how I felt. I was definitely mourning, but it wasn't crippling like I thought it would be. I thought at first that maybe It was because she wasn't my first mom, but I discounted that theory quickly. That woman had done everything in her power to make sure that I had a good life and that I made it to where I am now. I loved her as much as a child could love his mother.

Bant bent down and gave me a hug, and I made sure to give her a squeeze.

"Thanks for everything, Bant. I don't think I could've gotten through everything today without your help," I said.

"Nonsense. Not even five yet and you're already one of the strongest people I know," she replied. I kind of cheat since I'm technically way older than five, but it was a nice compliment nonetheless. "And thank you for sharing tonight with us."

"I should be thanking you guys. It definitely helped having others there, even if we've only known each other for a day," I said.

"It's definitely been a fast friendship," Bant said with a smile. "Now, you've got an important couple of days coming up, you need to get some sleep. I will see you tomorrow."

She said back up and gave my right hand one last squeeze. I felt a hand on my left shoulder and looked over to see Obi-Wan standing beside me.

"Remember, you are not on your own anymore. Do not be afraid to ask anyone here for help. I'm glad I got to meet you, Tyris Kelborn. Something tells me you are going to shake things up around this Temple," he said with a laugh.

I looked up at him. "You think the Council will decide to let me stay?"

"I can't presume to speak for the Council, but I think you have the makings of a fine Jedi. I know Bant feels the same as well. Goodnight, Tyris," he said. And with that, him and Bant made their way down the hall, probably to their own rooms.

I must be doing something right if they think so highly of me. Coming out of my thoughts, I entered my room. Taking my boots off, hanging my robe, and removing my clothes, I at last crawled into bed. I allowed myself to finally decompress after the events of the last two days. I'd come to peace with what happened to my mother, but I still doubted I would have a very restful slumber tonight. Though, that didn't stop me from almost falling asleep the second I laid upon the bed. I can't believe I'm spending the night in the Jedi Temple. Hopefully it's the first of many.

* * *

I sat up in my bed, ramrod straight, gasping for breath. I could still hear the echo of the blaster shots from my dream ringing in my ears. I checked the holo-clock on my side table to see that it was 0527 Galactic Standard Time. Coruscant ran on a 24-hour day/night cycle, so it was very easy to adapt to. The only difference with Earth was that they always used military time. I'd gotten to bed at around 11:30 last night, so I slept on and off for six hours. Much better than I thought I was going to get.

I knew I wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep after that, so I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to get ready. After getting showered and dressed, I decided I might as well take a look around the temple. It was just after six, so I figured I had at least an hour before I should go to the Halls for my 'breakfast'.

And so I spent that hour walking around the halls of the Temple. I left the robe that Master Koth had given to me since I didn't want to presume I was allowed to wear full Jedi garb outside of the funeral. I got a few questioning looks from others that were traveling the halls, but I was generally left to my own devices. I thought about heading to the Room of a Thousand Fountains, but figured I'd want to spend a lot time there, so I decided to wait until after I saw Healer Che. Instead, I checked out the main hall, stuck my head inside some empty classrooms, and even glanced around the huge library. I tried to commit the location of everything to memory, I recalled that one of the first things a Jedi youngling was expected to do was memorize the layout of the Temple, so I figured I might as well get a head start since I don't have much to do.

Before I knew it, it was seven in the morning, so I left my current location— the Jedi Museum, definitely a place I was going to be frequenting if I started training— and headed to the Halls. It wasn't far, I was already in the Southwest wing of the Temple.

I arrived, and was very surprised to see different faces manning the Halls. Behind the reception desk was someone I recognized immediately. It was Barriss Offee. I recognized her so easily because Star Wars Medstar, which she featured heavily in, was one of my favorite books in the EU, and so when the Clone Wars came out and featured some episodes of her, I was very excited.

I approached the desk and told her that I was here to get an IV for fluids and nutrients. She nodded and took me back into the medical room, where I saw the second surprising face. I guess Vokara Che was taking a day off. The new healer looked a lot like Master Adi Gallia, but had darker skin and violet eyes. She introduced herself as Stass Allie, and the name rung a bell. She was a cousin of Adi Gallia's, and a member of the Healing Circle of Jedi or whatever the hell it's called. She took Gallia's place on the council for Revenge of the Sith.

After the introductions, they got me hooked up on one of the beds so I could get started. Nearly a half hour later, I was leaving the halls with instructions to return in four hours for my next treatment. And I knew exactly what I was going to do with those four hours.

I turned one more corner and found myself at the entrance to my destination, the Room of a Thousand Fountains. I really need to come up with a nickname for this place.

The sound of the waterfalls in the room greeted me as I walked in. It truly was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever been to. I chose a path to follow and just started walking around. I was careful not to make too much noise because there were some Jedi in here that I assumed were getting some morning meditation in. Off to one side of the room, which was _massive_ by the way, I found a small waterfall with a pool at the bottom of it. The water was so clear that if the falls weren't disturbing the surface I would think it was just a glass viewing port to the bottom.

There was a small cliff that overlooked the falls that looked like a prime diving spot. But, that's not what I was here to do, at least not today. It was also a prime looking spot for something else.

What the hell, just because I wasn't a recognized Jedi yet didn't mean I couldn't try my hand at meditation. So, I took a seat right at the edge of the cliff, looking directly at the falls, with the pool below me. I knew there were several different types of meditation that Jedi practiced. The regular meditation, where you just sit and center yourself, moving meditation, which I knew was a favorite of Obi-Wan's, and floating meditation. Yes, it was actually called that.

Well, I didn't know any of the movements for the moving meditation, and I wasn't ready to risk falling on my face in public yet, so I just went with simple meditation. I crossed my legs while I was sitting and placed my hands on my knees. I closed my eyes and decided to focus on the noise of the falls hitting the pool, letting the ambience wash over me. I thought that I would be bored, but this was rather pleasant, especially when I reached out and was able to find the Force one more. It was so much easier now than it had been on the ship with Koth. I wasn't much for idleness mostly, but this was definitely something that I could get used to.

I tried to deepen myself in the meditation, opening up completely to the Force. Man, was it elusive when you first started out, but once you got started, everything else just felt natural, instinctual even, like this is what I was always meant to do.

And then, at a certain point, even with my eyes closed, I could _see_. I thought it was just me imagining things, but it was so damn vivid it had to be real. But, it wasn't seeing in the traditional sense. I knew that my eyes weren't what was supplying the information to my brain, but it was still interpreting the info I was getting as images. I saw all the Jedi that were meditating in the room with me. But, it went even further than that. I saw the younglings, yawning as they grabbed their breakfast, starting a new day of studies and training. I saw the bustle of Jedi going about their duties, and even some being sent on missions outside of the temple, taking off from the same hangar bay I entered at. I saw Obi-Wan getting some lightsaber training in with someone who looked a lot like Quinlan Vos. I couldn't seem to find Bant, however. I did see Qui-Gon conversing with a female jedi on one of the meditation balconies, though. Eeth Koth was in the hangar bay, looking over the _Prism_. He might be sent back out soon for his original mission. And I found Master Yoda, sitting in his famous room, with the blinds closed, meditating on his chair. Suddenly, his eyes opened, seemingly looking straight at me, a slight smirk on his face.

The action startled me so, it broke my meditation.

Though, the webbed hand on my shoulder might have had something to do with that as well.

I glanced up sharply, surprised to see Bant standing over me. Maybe that's why I couldn't find her during my meditation. I wasn't paying much attention to myself. Which, now that I think about it, is pretty stupid considering the hazards of being a Jedi.

"Bant, what's up?" I asked, wondering why she disturbed me. I'm not the most knowledgeable of Jedi etiquette, but I was pretty sure it was considered rude to interrupt another's meditation unless it was urgent.

"Tyris, do you know what time it is? We've been looking everywhere for you," she said with a stern look on her face. Or, I assumed it was a stern look based on her tone. I still had a long ways to go on reading Mon Cal facial expressions

"What, why? I just sat down like ten minutes ago. I still have at least three hours before I need to be back at the Halls," I stated, wondering what was going on.

"Three hours? Tyris, it's almost 1500 hours. You are three hours _late_ for your appointment!"

That struck me dumb. I didn't believe it until I glanced out the window and noticed that the sun was _way_ higher than it was when I arrived. Six damn hours. Holy shit. Six hours of meditation, and it felt like it was six _minutes_.

"I was… meditating… I had no idea how long it had been," I said weakly, not knowing what else to say.

"Wait, you came straight here after your session this morning?" I nodded. "I've heard of Knights and Masters losing time when fully immersed in the Force, but you're so young." She placed her hand on her chin, something I assumed she picked up from one of her human friends, because I don't think that was a Mon Cal behavior.

"Well, this is something for the Masters to figure out. You've got a very irate healer to go see," she said, ushering me off the rock and towards the exit of the room.

I couldn't believe this. That long, just sitting there! And I wasn't even stiff! In fact, I felt great. Amazing, even! Like I was going to burst with energy. I realized I'd drawn the ire of easily the scariest Jedi I'd met so far, but for some reason I couldn't help but be in a chipper mood.

At least, until we walked into the Halls.

There was no one in the reception area, which made sense, since Bant was probably the one that was supposed to be there. However, I didn't think about it to hard on account of the _invisible hand that was trying to rip my ear off!_

"Ow! What the h— OW!" I started yelling, following the invisible tugging hand to try and lessen the pain. It was leading me towards the medical room, and after figuring that out, even in my pain, it didn't take me long to figure out what was going on.

"Ow! Master Che, please! It— it wasn't my fault! I don't even know wh—," but before I could finish what I was saying, a much stronger pull caused me to stumble through the door and land square on my face.

"Ah, Mr. Kelborn, it's so nice that you finally deigned us important enough to stop by," came a voice to my right. I rolled over off of my face and saw Vokara Che standing before me, arms crossed, with a very unamused look on her face.

I sweatdropped. "Listen, I didn't even think I could meditate to begin with, let alone that I'd lose six hours of my life!"

This seemed to throw her off a little, and she glanced at Bant for confirmation, who only nodded. She returned her attention to me, giving me one last look before sighing.

"Whatever, get on the bed so I can take your vitals. Padawan Eerin, please get his fluids prepared."

I peeled myself off the floor, rubbing my nose, muttering about troublesome healers, and receiving a smack on the back of my head for my troubles. I hopped on the bed and waited for Vokara to check my condition. And waited. And waited some more.

I was a certified nursing assistant in my previous life, and 90 percent of that job was taking vitals of patients, so I knew that it did not take this long, especially with all the advanced tech in this universe. She just kept staring at the screen that was displaying my vitals.

Finally, she glanced at me and then pulled a comlink out of one of the pockets in her robe. After chatting on it for a minute or to, she put it away and then walked over to Bant and started talking to her.

Great, did I do something else that pissed her off? I really wasn't looking forward to anymore Force abuse. Seriously, is there a Force Younling Protection Services? I sighed, and decided to try and figure out what the hell happened while I was waiting. I'd certainly heard of long meditation sessions before. I'm pretty sure there were stories of masters meditating for months, or even years, on end, saturated in the Force, not needing any outside stimuli or nourishment. But I wasn't even five yet, it shouldn't have been possible.

But, there was something that was poking the back of my mind, some piece of information that I knew I had, but couldn't seem to grasp. I kept trying to figure it out, it was right on the tip of my…

The Temple. It was the Temple. Well, not the Temple itself, but where it was built. There was giant spire that the Temple was built around that was incredibly strong in the Force. With that epiphany came clarity. I understood now why it was so much easier to tap into the Force while at the Temple, when it took me several minutes just to feel it while on the _Prism_ with Master Koth. And the Room of a Thousand Fountains was situated very close to the spire. Maybe...maybe my proximity to the spire paired with my inexplicably high midichlorian count caused me to immerse myself in the Force far deeper than I was prepared.

Not long after this realization, I heard footsteps approaching the medical room from the reception area, and was surprised to see Stass Allie enter.

"Healer Che, what was it that you wanted to show me?" She asked after walking into the room.

"Thank you for coming so quickly Stass. Will you please pull up the vitals you took on Tyris this morning on this datapad?" She asked, walking over in front of my bed and handing a pad to Allie.

Allie did so and then handed the pad back to Vokara.

"Thanks," she said, examining the datapad. "That's what I thought. Now, look at this," she said as she gestured at the monitor that was displaying my current vitals.

Allie squinted at the monitor for a few seconds, before quickly looking back at the pad to reaffirm what she had recorded this morning.

"How is this possible? This morning he had a high heart rate, hypertension, low blood sugar, and a poor RBC. Now, even though his BP is a little high for his age, everything is nearly in normal range. Even after we got him back on solids we shouldn't have been seeing readings this good until next week," she said with some confusion.

"I concur. Regardless, I think we should still give him the IV for this session, but I don't see any reason he can't have a regular supper tonight," she said, to which Allie nodded. "Bant, go ahead and take care of him from here. Master Allie and I need to go meet with Master Yoda."

And with that, the two healers swept out of the room, leaving Bant and I alone. She came over and started hooking the tubes up to give me my fluids.

She glanced at me before sighing. "Why do I get the feeling that you're going to give me no end of stress, little one?"

* * *

Later that night, I enter my room and begin getting ready for bed. After my session at the Halls I decided to explore the temple some more, deciding that six hours of meditation was more than enough for one day. Around 6:30, I returned to the Halls so that Bant could show me to one of the refectories, which was the Temple's version of a cafeteria/restaurant. Apparently, there were several throughout the Temple on different levels that offered different selections. I couldn't pronounce the main course of what I ate, though it tasted a lot like roast beef, with a side of hawk bat eggs.

We didn't dine alone, however. Obi-Wan joined us, along with, surprisingly, Quinlan Vos. I remember vaguely that they were friends, but never read anything that really went into detail on their friendship.

I didn't participate much in the conversation, other than introducing myself to Quinlan. I was still mulling over everything that had happened today. After we finished I told them that I was tired, and left to return to my room. It was almost 9 now, and I knew I should get enough sleep so that I didn't look like death in my meeting tomorrow. When I had got back to my room there was a Padawan waiting at my door who told me I was to appear before the Council at 10 the following morning.

After brushing my teeth, I came out to the main room and removed my clothes and tossed them in the hamper that was by my bed. Another set had been delivered at some point during the day. Unfortunately, it looked like they were the same size as the last ones. Damn.

Crawling into bed, I wondered if I was actually going to be able to get to sleep. There was so much on my mind. Am I going to go into a coma every time I meditate? And what about the weirdness of my body apparently fixing itself in a matter of hours? What were they going to say tomorrow?

And then I was opening my eyes to the sound of the alarm I had set for 7:30 in the morning. Huh, guess I was more tired than I realized. I got out of bed and began getting ready for the day.

After I got dressed and groomed, I left and grabbed breakfast at the refectory that was close to the dormitory section of the Temple. I ate alone this time, which didn't bother me. The one thing that was weird, however, was the fact that I didn't have a smartphone that I could look at YouTube or check Facebook with. It wasn't bad, I just was so used to having that expensive piece of technology on me that it was a little unnerving, almost like I thought I had lost it or something.

By the time I finished breakfast, it was a little after 9, so I left the refectory and began the long walk to the southwest wing of the Temple. The whole way there my mind was going a mile a minute, thinking about how in the next hour the course of the rest of my life would be decided.

Before I knew it, I was at the turbolift that would take me up to the council chambers. It was only 9:40, so I waited and watched people bustling about to kill the time.

"Good morning, Tyris."

I glanced to my right and saw Obi-Wan was the owner of the voice.

"Morning, Obi-Wan. How's it going?"

"I am well, going to meet Master Qui-Gon in the hangar. We are being sent on a long term mission. To your people's home planet, Mandalore, actually. How are you doing?"

Huh, this must be when they go protect Satine from the Death Watch.

I sighed. "I'm freaking out actually. I'm about to meet with the Council to find out if I'm to become a Jedi or not."

A sympathetic look crossed his face. "Tyris, regardless of how this meeting goes, I have a feeling that you are going to go on to do some great things. Don't stress too hard about events that you have no control over. The Council is thinking of you first and foremost regarding their decision, and will try to do whatever is best for you. I'm sure everything will work out." He placed a hand on my shoulder and smiled at me. "I must go now, and you should as well. I look forward to seeing how you've grown the next we meet. May the Force be with you." And with that, he left.

I turned to the turbolift and hit the call button, and nearly jumped out of my skin when the bell sounded and the doors opened immediately. Man, Obi-Wan's right, I need to chill the hell out. Showing up as a nervous wreck wasn't going to do me any favors.

I entered the lift and hit the button to take me to the chambers. I used the time in turbolift to call on the Force and center myself. The whole way up, I took deep breaths and thought of everything that could go right, rather than work myself up again by thinking about everything that could go wrong. By the time the lift doors opened to the antechamber I felt far more confident than I did when I entered it.

I stepped out of the lift, and approached the Padawan that was on duty by the large door.

"Tyris Kelborn here to see the Council," I stated, happy that my voice didn't shake at all.

He nodded, and pressed a button on a control panel by the door. Probably announcing my presence. And then the doors opened.

I walked through, trying not to make awkward eye contact with any of the Masters as I approached the center of the room. I did, however, glance at Master Koth, who gave me nothing more than an expressionless nod.

Once I was I was in the middle of the room, I faced Master Yoda and bowed.

"Good Morning, Masters," I said respectfully.

"Hmmm, much better, you look, Tyris Kelborn. Trust, I do, that your health is improving?"

"Yes, Master. Healers Che and Allie have taken great care of me," I replied.

"Not much their doing, according to them," Yoda said cryptically. "But, some other time, broach that topic we may. Convened, we are, to decide if Jedi training, you will receive."

I waited in anticipation, for the series of comments that was sure to come. This meeting would most likely take even longer than the last.

"Agreed, unanimously, we have, that trained in the Jedi ways, you are to be."

Or not.

What? Just like that? No build up, no preamble, no incessant questions, no hard stares, no snide remarks from Snake Beard Dude?

"Unanimously?" I asked in surprise. It took all of my willpower not to look over at Rancisis.

"It is the thought of the Masters that you possess the maturity to succeed in the training despite being older than most. I don't mean to sound insensitive, but your lack of attachments outside of the Order made the decision easier," Said Master Windu.

It was like a weight being lifted off my shoulders. I felt like I'd been holding my breath for the past two days, and I could finally breathe easy again.

"What was it that made you confident I could do the training?" I asked, curiosity getting the best of me.

"The night of your mother's funeral, it was. Unknowingly, tapped into the Force, you did. For your age, more powerfully than any expected. Confirmed, you did, our suspicions of your empathic ability, when you shared with all present your emotions. Regret and anger, expected they are of a child losing a parent. However, felt neither of these, you did," said Yaddle. It was the first time I'd heard her speak, and she sounded….. Exactly how you'd expect a female Yoda to sound.

"Instead," continued Plo Koon, "You shared sadness at losing your mother, but, more importantly, acceptance, as well as happiness that her suffering was over. An incredibly mature outlook for one so young."

"You are a very surprising young man, and have the workings of a promising Jedi," said Master Koth, with a hint of pride in his voice.

"Made this decision lightly, we did not. Training to be a Jedi, easy it is not. Many hardships, I see on your path forward. Way of the Jedi, this is. Only more difficult, things will get from here," said Yoda.

I stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before I realized they were waiting on me to say something.

"Thank you, Masters. I swear I will do my utmost to uphold the traditions and values of the Order," I said, with a deep bow.

Master Yoda gave a nod, before glancing around the Chamber. "Have anything further to add, does anyone?" There was silence,and then Yoda turned back to me. "And you, Initiate Kelborn. Any questions, have you?"

I smiled, and asked the only question that was important at this point.

"Any way that I can get some clothes that actually fit?"

* * *

 **AN: Well holy damn. That ended up being a little longer than I had planned. Just a few things to talk about. Thank you Cf96 and marcoskowla for the reviews, even just small encouraging words are a huge motivation.**

 **In regards to my Clone Wars reference with Obi-Wan right before the second meeting, the way I look at it, Clone Wars had been airing for four years before Disney announced Episode 7 and retconned the Expanded Universe, so I'm going to be including the Clone Wars in my fic. I like Rex to much to not have him in it.**

 **Also, in regards to my SI's knowledge of the Star Wars universe: If I have to look it up while I'm writing, then he will have to find out that info from some other source in universe. Anything I know off the top of my head, he will also.**

 **As for updates, I'm shooting for every Sunday, but the chapter will go up whenever it is done. However, I am a coach for football and basketball, have a full time job, and am married, so there may be times when I don't update on time. Sorry in advance. Thanks!**

 **Teee-Jay**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Really?**

It's been nearly a year and a half since the Council made their decision to allow me to become an Initiate. I turned five a few days after, and everything seemed to go so fast from there. Normally, an initiate was sorted into Clans by Caretakers who used the Force to group them together based on certain attributes they possessed, such as courage, cunning, and intelligence. I was a special case. Since clans are usually made with children that are under the age of three, I was placed with an already existing one that was smaller than most. Apparently these kids had been placed together based on loyalty. A majority of them were a year older than me, and so had already known each other for 3-4 years at this point, basically their entire lives. Clans usually took courses together and would eat together at the refectories.

The classes weren't all that bad. Force theory and Galactic History were a breeze for me, and I was able to catch up to where my Clan was in no time. I'd spent so much time Googling things about the Force and Star Wars lore in my previous life that it bordered on unhealthy.

However, not everything was so natural for me. Being at the Jedi Temple was like being enrolled in one of those elite private schools rich kids went to. You were expected to be smarter, work harder, and learn faster than anyone else. This was especially prevalent with math and science.

Math wasn't to hard for me since I had a solid base in college, but that's why I was able to keep up. We were _five year olds_ doing differential equations and quantum physics. The bad one, however, was biology. Over 1,000 worlds were a part of the Republic, most with their own unique species, and we were expected to learn the anatomy and physiology of all of them. Even with seven years, which is when we were expected to complete the Initiate Trials, there was so much information being thrown at us that it made med school seem like a bit of light reading.

I didn't even try in Hyperspace theory. Maybe if my mind was a blank slate, I'd be able to grasp it a bit little easier, but I had 20 years worth of memory from a universe where it was physically _impossible_ to reach the speed of light. Here, they travelled hundreds of thousands of light years in days.

One of the things that I was surprised that I enjoyed so much was meditating. As initiates, we were expected to set aside time for five sessions of meditation every day. I usually got closer to ten. If I wasn't in a class, doing homework, or doing my best to avoid Vokara, I was meditating. I'd gotten really good at letting the Force fill me up and falling deep into my meditation. I also got very good at setting alarms before I began. I always felt refreshed after meditation, way better than I did after sleeping, unless I got to sleep in on the weekends. It was about 8 months ago when I found out the reason for this. Every initiate has a mediation session with Master Yoda every 6 months until you either pass the Trials or age out. Most of the people in my Clan say it's not even really meditation, but Master Yoda talking to you to get to know you better.

That wasn't the case with our sessions. He'd ask questions every now and then, mostly pleasantries, but the first time I met with him he just kind of observed me while I meditated. He said I did well and then it was over. The second time, however, he stopped my meditation about twenty minutes into the meeting, and explained to me that he was pretty sure I was using a very basic version of Force Revitalize, a technique that hadn't been seen in the Order in nearly four millennia. Apparently, regular Force healing just fixed wounds, but couldn't restore energy or reduce fatigue. Revitalize not only eliminated fatigue, muscle and otherwise, but, in its more advanced forms, could could help the body operate at peak efficiency as well as sustain the body with the Force. So I apparently tapped into the advanced version during my 6 hour meditation.

On top of that, he said that when I get to my deepest level of meditation, I sometimes activate my Force Projection. This is what happened when I was able to see what everyone was doing the first time meditated. It also confirmed my suspicions that Yoda did indeed see me when I was spying on him in his room. Apparently Jedi use this technique to scout areas that are dangerous.

I excelled in just about every aspect of Force training, save one. Telekinesis eluded me no matter how much effort I put into it. It took me thirty minutes straight of concentration to just slide a datapad across my desk. Normally, this would still be incredible since I used to not be able to move anything at all, but it was pretty frustrating when my classmates were able to levitate multiple at a time without little to no difficulty. It confounded my instructors since based on my Force Potential — aka my midichlorian count — I should be far outstripping my classmates.

This was true, however, in every other aspect of the Force. I could guess images on a datapad at 100 percent accuracy, I could make myself much faster and stronger, and I was also incredibly adept at resisting mental probes. I seemed to never fatigue either, since I could just use Revitalize to refresh my body.

I did have limits, however. Just like in pretty much every Star Wars game that involved the Force at all, I seemed to have a finite pool of Force energy before I exhausted myself and either had to meditate or sleep. Eating something seemed to give me a minor boost to my reserves as well. But, over the last year or so I'd become so enamored with how the Force felt that I literally immersed myself in it every second possible. The first couple of months saw me being exhausted before lunch time, but there's been a noticeable improvement in how long I can channel the Force continuously since then. I now could make it all the way to dinner before feeling like I needed a break.

And boy, did being constantly connected to the Force have some advantages. It seemed to encourage growth, both physical and mental. At six years old I was just over four and half feet tall, far above the average for a human boy. And, despite growing so quickly, I was also proportional. It also helped my memory. I was having no issue memorizing the anatomy of hundreds of species now, and math might as well have been a personal finance class with how easily I blew through it.

On top of all this, however, there was one place where I was so far and above my classmates that I had to move two years ahead of my clan in order to keep improving; the martial arts of being a Jedi. Hand to hand and lightsaber training had started several months ago, and I took to it like a fish to water. Even from the first lesson, it was clear I was a prodigy. Stuff that took my classmates several sessions to get comfortable with I had mastered within minutes of seeing it demonstrated. After the first week, I was moved into a class of seven year olds, after the first month, I was placed with the eight year olds.

I was good at hand to hand, but was an artist with a lightsaber in my hands. I naturally was able to deflect a vast majority of the training lasers shot at us by our training remotes right off the bat, and after a week of instruction, I hadn't been touched since. We were much too young for our instructors to trust us to duel each other yet, but the few times I'd crossed blades with a teacher or peer instructor I'd been able to surprise with my agility and strength. And I couldn't get enough of it. Any chance I got, I was bugging Obi-Wan, Bant, Master Koth, even Quinlan Vos, anyone who would take me to the training room so that I could work on my katas and footwork.

All initiates were instructed in Form I, or Shii-Cho. This was the most basic form, and was basically a training form used to build a basis of lightsaber combat before an initiate became a Padawan and chose a form to specialize in. It had been six months since I began learning Shii-Cho, and I quickly became bored with it. So, whenever I got someone to bring me to the training room I asked them to show me the beginning steps of whatever form they had specialized in. Obi-Wan and Bant were both practitioners of Form III, Soresu. This was a form that relied almost exclusively on defense until the user could find an opening to end the conflict, and was mainly used against enemies that had blasters, though was equally effective at defending against lightsabers, though the lack of offense made fighting another lightsaber wielder a bit of a struggle. It is said, however, that a true master of Soresu is nearly invincible. I picked up the first few katas of this stance rather quickly, and immediately knew this would be one of my main stances I'd use when using a lightsaber.

Master Koth was a master of Form IV, Ataru. This was a far more aggressive stance than Soresu. It relied heavily on powerful strikes and Force-assisted acrobatics to move around the battlefield. I was able to get the first kata of this form down with minor difficulty. I wanted to be proficient in every form of lightsaber combat eventually, but I felt awkward while in this stance, and knew that this was a form I wouldn't use all that often.

It was very rare that I was able to convince Quinlan to take me to the training rooms. The first time I was able to and asked him to show me some of his chosen lightsaber form, he harshly said no. Quinlan was a practitioner of Vapaad, a variant of Form VII, or Juuyo, created by none other than Master Mace Windu. He wouldn't say anything other than it was forbidden for any that haven't been Knighted to learn. But, I knew that Vapaad used one's inner darkness and turned it on your enemy. It was especially effective against Dark Side users because it just turned all the darkness they were using back on themselves. However, he did show me the beginning steps of learning Juuyo, which was far less aggressive, but still considered the most ferocious of the recognized forms.

Amid all the learning and growing, I had found time to slightly connect with some of my classmates. The mental age difference made some things difficult, but I was growing accustomed to it. The most tolerable of my classmates was easily Darra Thel-Tanis, a 7 year old girl whom I shared Force Theory and Galactic History with since I'd been moved up a year in both of those classes. She was far and above more mentally mature than any 7 year old had any right to be, which was probably why it was easier for me to get along with her. Her name immediately sounded familiar to me, but it took me a few days to finally remember where I'd heard of her before. She's a secondary character in the Jedi Padawan book series that details Obi-Wan's and Anakin's adventures between episodes I and II. In the books she tragically dies when she uses a faulty lightsaber and ends up getting shot. Hopefully that's one of the many things that I can change by being here. Another boon of getting to know her was finally knowing exactly where I was at in the timeline. She's the same age as Anakin, so I have roughly two years before the events of Episode I begin. In that time, I'd also come to terms that I was going to be to young to really affect anything that would happen during that time. An eight year old initiate wouldn't hold enough clout to be able to make a difference. I'd just have to bide my time and continue to train myself for events that I'd be in a better position to change.

Speaking of training, I should go see if I can drag Obi-Wan down the to the lightsaber rooms.

 _Snap-hiss!_

Oh man, even 7 months after the first time I turned a lightsaber on, that noise still gives me shivers. Even though it's just a training saber, the weight and feel of it in my hands still felt like the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. However, I had to cut my nerdgasm short because I had a much more pressing matter to deal with.

I was in the middle of my lightsaber class, about to face off with a peer instructor. Nothing to unusual. I'd actually grown quite the reputation while taking this class, having quickly shown that even though I was training with initiates a few years my senior I was still the alpha dog in the group. We consisted of 8 and 9 year olds with me as the sole exception, and as such had just recently began dueling one another. Even with my disadvantage in experience, I had a spotless record. I just couldn't be touched. I even became a minor celebrity in the Temple when I disarmed an overly confident Padawan who'd come to be a peer instructor. I stuck with Shii-Cho when I was dueling with my classmates so as to not have an unfair advantage, but alternated between Soresu — which I'd become quite proficient at — and what I knew of Juuyo whenever I squared off with a teacher or peer instructor. This match was going to be a little different because of who I was facing. About ten yards away from me stood none other than a young Aayla Secura, who had just recently been taken as a padawan by Quinlan Vos, who was himself here to observe the bout. We'd actually drawn an unusually large crowd for a simple practice duel and our instructor had surprisingly been asked by the current Jedi Battlemaster Anoon Bondara himself to move the fight to the auditorium that was used for the Padawan Trials. Apparently word had got around that the 6 year old lightsaber genius was going to face off against Secura, who had quickly gained her own reputation as well.

Master Bondara, who had offered to personally officiate our fight, stepped up between us.

"Remember, no strikes to the head, no outward use of the Force. The match ends when either of the combatants are disarmed or a killing blow is landed," he said, glancing briefly at the two of us. "Are both fighters ready, salute and I will begin the duel."

Immediately Aayla lifted her lightsaber vertically to right in front of her face, and then brought it down to her side with a flourish, reminiscent of what Dooku did before each of his fights.

I took my time, however, and closed my eyes. Breathing deeply, I fully immersed myself in the Force, making sure that I was calm and centered. When I was ready, I opened my eyes and repeated the salute that Aalya gave me.

"Begin!" Bondara shouted without no warning whatsoever.

Instead of being surprised,however, I immediately dropped into the starting stance of Soresu, my lightsaber in my right hand, held back and above my head, the blade pointed forward, with my left hand fully extended forward, palm open. I didn't know what form Aayla used so I decided on using a wait and see approach, opting to let her make the first move. Big mistake.

Nearly faster than the eye could see, Aayla lept the ten yards between us and came at me with a two handed over the head strike.

Instead of trying to take the full brunt of the strike on my lightsaber, I sidestepped to the right and angled my blade down and to the left with both hands, cause the force to be shunted off center, reducing the force of the hit. Aayla spun around and slashed low at my legs, which I easily deflected while taking a few steps back to gain a little more space. I was granted no reprieve however, as she quickly closed the distance to try again. This time, she threw a feint low at my legs and quickly turned it into a vertical slash at my midsection. I didn't even bother trying to deflect it and sidestepped to my left, again taking a couple of steps back.

The action paused briefly, with the two of us eyeing each other up. I could tell she was impressed with my defense, but I knew what I had seen so far was not even close to her going all out. This had just been the probing of my guard, feeling out my skill with the blade. If I was going to have any chance at prevailing in this fight, I'd have to quickly come up with a strategy that would give me an opening.

Again, I waited for her to make the first move, calmly waiting, looking for anything, a twitch of a muscle or a glance of the eyes, that would betray her next attack.

She lunged at me, stabbing her lightsaber towards my midsection. This was the first opening I'd seen so far. The move I had in mind was a little aggressive for a practitioner of Soresu, but I had worked on adapting the form to fit my other strength.  
Just before her attack landed, I batted the blade aside and spun with my swing, coming around with a sharp left elbow. Had we been the same size, I would have nailed her right in the back of the head. Unfortunately, even though I was quite tall for a 6-almost-7 year old, I only managed to tag her in the back of the rib cage. I'd landed the first blow of the duel.

I didn't stop moving, though. There was no way the blow disoriented her enough to stop her from counter attacking. I immediately front flipped forward, out of range of any attack, and quickly spun around to face her once more.

I was not ready for how quickly she was in my face. Nor was I ready for the ferocity of the attack I'd have to endure.

I blocked a high slash aimed at my head, and immediately had to block another at my hip when she used the momentum to spin around and attack again. She flourished her blade and again stabbed at my midsection. Instead of using the same counter twice, which most assuredly would mean defeat in most duels, I deflected her attack high and attacked with a straight kick right underneath her arm.

I didn't give her enough credit though.

Almost as if this was what she had wanted me to do, she spun around the kick, and while my lightsaber was still out of position, easily landed a strike on my upper left thigh.

While I was still trying to figure out what had just happened, she flipped over my head and landed another strike on my right shoulder, dangerously close to my neck, which would be considered a kill blow.

However, she wasn't ready for how quick my reflexes were, and I spun around and landed a solid back kick with my right leg to her midsection that caused her to stumble back a few steps. The wound on my left leg screamed in protest, but it had given me space to regroup.

And not only that, but I had gained insight on her fighting style. The flourishes, the spins, and finally, the flip all helped figure out that she was using the Ataru stance, which relied on acrobatics and intimidation. With this information, I was able to decide on what course of action to take.

She was clearly far more advanced at Ataru than I was at Soresu. Had we been at the same level, I would have been able to just hold my ground until she tired out. I couldn't rely on that, however, so I needed to change my approach.

I adjusted my feet, just narrower than shoulder width with my left foot forward, and changed to a two handed grip, with the lightsaber held back by my right shoulder, with the blade pointed straight forward. This was the starting stance of Juyo.

Some murmurs ran through the crowd. I'm sure they were surprised that I was proficient in Soresu at such a young age, but for me to also know Juyo was unheard of.

Instead of being surprised, Aayla just smirked and readied herself.

I abandoned my cautious approach and quickly closed the distance with Aayla, throwing a diagonal two handed slash towards her feet, causing her to leap over my head in a twisting flip.

The slash was just a feint though. WIth how relient Ataru is on mobility and verticality, I knew that this type of attack would cause her to leap over me. She wasn't ready for me to plant my foot in the ground and switch directions so quickly, nearly beating her to where she landed, a look of surprise on her face. I quickly started attacking her from all angles, doing my best to add as much strength to each strike without sacrificing precision.

I was basically on auto pilot with my attacks, though, all my attention focused on seeing…. _there!_ A slight tensing of her legs, signaling that she was going to attempt to jump away from me to give her space. My next strike was a horizontal one. However, instead of aiming for anywhere on her, my target was her lightsaber itself. I used more strength than normal on this strike, locking our blades together, and shoulder charged right past her guard, driving my shoulder straight into her solar plexus, causing her to huff as all the oxygen vacated her lungs. At the same time that I did this, I placed my right foot right behind her left leg, preventing her from stepping back to maintain her balance. Instead, she tripped over my foot and fell backwards, landing on her back.

I quickly closed with her prone form, knowing this was the best shot I had at ending the duel.

I had forgotten about one thing though. There was a reason Twi'lek women were so highly sought after as dancers.

In an amazing display of flexibility, Ayala bent backwards as she was falling and caught herself with her hands, using the momentum to turn the fall into a backwards cartwheel.

A cartwheel that ended up with her foot kicking me square underneath my chain, causing my teeth to clack together as my mouth was forcibly closed.

I saw stars, stumbling back a few steps as I tried to gain my bearings. Just as my vision began to refocus, I saw a blue blade coming right for me.

Thanks to reflex more than anything, I was able to catch the blow on my own blade, resulting in a saber lock. One that I was quickly losing.

I may have been a very big kid for my age, and very powerful in the Force, but she still had several years on me and my glaring wound on my shoulder was not doing me any favors.

She was finally able to push her blade past the neutral point of our saber lock, meaning that she could at any moment disengage and have a clear shot at me. I knew I had to do something right now if I didn't wanna lose, and I only had one trick left, one that would normally be suicide in a lightsaber battle.

I shut my lightsaber off.

There were several gasps from the crowd as my blade deactivated. Aayla had been putting her full body weight behind her blade to force mine aside, meaning when the resistance of my lightsaber disappeared, she stumbled forward, nearly falling over.

It was enough, though, as I brought my knee up to meet her, striking her in the gut very hard. While she was still doubled over my leg, I quickly shifted my lightsaber hilt to my left hand, looped my right hand around her right arm, under her armpit and up until my hand was at the back of her neck, and then dropped.

We hit the floor with my body on top of hers, with me still holding her arm at that awkward angle to prevent her from striking me with her blade.

I activated the hilt still in my left hand and used it to tap her on the forearm, causing her hand to spasm and drop her lightsaber, the dead man's switch causing it to deactivate before it hit the floor.

I unlooped my arm and sat up, straddling her from behind at the waist, and held my lightsaber to the back of her neck.

"The match is over!" Barked Bondara. "Padawan Secura has been disarmed and incapacitated, Padawan Kelborn is the victor."

Holy shit.

Did that just happen?

Holy shit!

Some light applause sounded from the audience that had gathered to watch us, with many surprised and impressed faces to go around.

I felt some shifting that reminded me that I was still on top of my opponent. I got off, allowing Aayla to roll over with a wince.

"Owwwww…. I think you almost ripped my arm out of its socket with that last move you little _schutta_ ," she moaned as she sat up. "I can't believe you actually shut your lightsaber off in the middle of a duel. I thought I had you after I clocked you with my foot."

"You nearly did," I said, as I extended a hand to help her up. "Were it not for a crazy amount of luck and trickery on my part the duel would have ended right there. It was a very stupid and desperate move, but apparently some deity somewhere decided to take pity on me."

She accepted my hand and I hoisted her to her feet.

"Oh, you don't give yourself enough credit. That was some crazy lightsaber skill, and you really threw me off when you switched stances mid duel. I didn't expect someone your age to know both Soresu and Juyo."

"I don't think anyone did, Padawan Secura."

We turned and saw Master Bondara approaching us.

"That was some fine swordsmanship, from both of you. A well fought duel. Congratulations, Initiate Kelborn. These halls haven't seen a youngster with your skill in many a year. And Secura, you show much promise as well. I'm sure your master is proud."

"Thank you, Master," we said in tandem, giving him a bow. After that, he walked off, heading towards Quinlan.

I turned back to Aayla. "That was by far the most fun I'd had dueling with someone else. I may have to come and bug you about training together some more," I said.

"You're damn right we are going to have a rematch! You know how embarrassing it's going to be when my friends hear I lost to an Initiate? Don't go getting a big head though, I promise that trick won't work a second time." And with that, she turned and headed toward where her master and Bondara were talking.

I finally had a second to breath, and finally realized how exhausted and sore I was. I could also tell that my Force reserves were significantly drained. Apparently being fully tapped into the Force during battle had a much larger cost than normal. Go figure.

My wounds on my shoulder and leg were throbbing something fierce, and I was sure that I was going to have a nice purple bruise on my chin this time tomorrow. I hadn't felt like this since I first started actively calling on the Force. I was in rough shape.

But, I decided to take some pride out of what I had just accomplished. Regardless of how much luck I needed to win, I had still defeated Aayla Secura, who was probably twice my age at this point. I was definitely doing something right.

"So, this is the young one you've been telling me about, Bant," said a deep voice from behind me.

I turned around and was surprised to find Bant and…. _ohmygodthat'sKitFisto!_

I couldn't help it. My brain just shut down as I nerdgasmed everywhere. I couldn't believe it, this guy was a legend, far and above my favorite Jedi of all time. He hardly got any screen time during the movies — a Goddamn shame — but any of the books that he was in instantly became some of my favorites.

"Um… Tyris, are you ok," Bant asked, looking at me with concern and slight amusement.

I realized that instead of saying hi or introducing myself I'd just been standing there staring at Master Fisto with my mouth hanging open.

I immediately flushed in embarrassment. I cleared my throat and gathered my bearings.

"Oh yeah, I'm good, Bant. Nothing to worry about!" I nervously laughed with a hand behind my head. I turned to Master Fisto and gave him a deep bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Master, my name is Tyris Kelborn."

"Ah, well met Tyris. My name is Kit Fisto," he replied, giving a bow in return. "That was some display of swordsmanship, little one. Aayla is considered a lightsaber prodigy in her own right, take pride in your victory."

"In an actual lightsaber battle she would probably have defeated me the second she struck me. I sort of cheated and got very lucky," I said, modestly.

"Well that last maneuver was very… bold, do not mistake strategic thinking and cunning for luck. Besides, there is no such thing as luck when you have the Force as your ally."

Oh. My. Christ. He's so damn cool!

"Anyhow," he continued, "while I greatly enjoyed watching the bout, I do have some pressing needs I have to tend to. Bant, do not forget we are meeting with the Council in the morning. It seems we may be slated for a long term mission." Bant nodded at him. "Farewell, Tyris. I hope to meet again, we all are anxious to see what the future holds for you." And with that, he about faced and exited the auditorium.

I turned to Bant, but out of the corner of my eye caught a flash of red. It seemed that Darra was waiting to speak to me as well after I was done with Bant.

Over the last year and however many months of getting to know her, I'd picked up on some of the more subtle Mon Calamari social cues, so I recognized the knowing look that Bant was giving me when I turned to speak with her.

"What, why are you looking at me like that? I just beat a girl twice my age in a duel, you should be congratulating me!" I said, confused as to what was going on.

"You didn't say a word when Master Kit called you little one," She said with a smirk. "Anyone else, even Master Koth, that calls you that gets lip from you."

"Yes, well... he's... just cooler than the rest of you, so I'll allow him to get away with it," I stuttered, unprepared for her to pick up on my admiration of Master Fisto so easily.

"Oh, sure! If you ask me it almost looked like someone just met his idol."

"Listen, woman! Did you not just see what I did? I might be tired, but I've still got enough left in the tank to set you straight!" I shouted, shaking my fist at her. She just laughed.

"Oh no! My fins are shaking in my boots!" She said, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, I just want you to know how amazing you did and that I am very proud of you. I know Obi-Wan would say the same if he could be here."

I instantly sobered up. "Have you heard anything?" I quietly asked.

"The last I heard he was alive and well. They were getting ready to come home when a new mercenary group showed up gunning for their charge. I'm not worried, though, and neither should you be. Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are two of the most talented Jedi the Order has to offer. They will return," she said, with a reassuring smile. "Now, I'm sure you are exhausted, and I have things to get ready before I meet with the Council tomorrow. I will come say bye before I leave for our mission. But, I think there is a young lady over there that has been patiently waiting for you attention, best not to make her wait any longer."

Bant began to walk away before turning back around and adding, "Oh, and please make sure to stop by the Halls soon. Don't make Master Vokara come and find you again." And with that, she left.

A shiver ran down my spine. Vokara Che was without a doubt the scariest person I've ever met, and for some reason her ire always seemed to be directed towards me.

"Tyris!"

I turned and finally gave my attention to the only peer that I actually considered a friend. "Hi, Darra," I said, giving her a small wave, feeling the deep rooted exhaustion start to seep in.

"That's all you've got to say? Are you kidding?" She asked incredulously. "You just beat a peer instructor! And, not like one of those pushovers that usually works with the initiate classes, but one of the best duelists in her year!"

"Well, it sure doesn't feel like I won," I laughed, wincing as my wounds started throbbing.

Without warning, she punched me in the right shoulder, directly below the wound I had received, dramatically increasing the throbbing and pain.

"Ow! What the hell, Darra! I just got stabbed by a lightsaber on that shoulder!"

"It was a training saber, you big baby! Why didn't you tell me that you knew Juyo!" She said, irritation clear in her voice.

"It never came up! I'm actually surprised that you recognize the stance," I said, eyeing her up.

"Tyris, it's a form of lightsaber combat that most Jedi are discouraged from learning until they at least become Knights. That basically guarantees that everyone knows what it looks like."

I… actually couldn't argue with her logic there, seeing as how I'm very curious about anything deemed "forbidden".

"Alright, fine. I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that I had been learning a semi-forbidden lightsaber form," I said, laying my exasperation on thick.

She didn't seem to care, though. "See, that's much better! No more keeping things from your best friend," she said with a big smile.

"Agreed," I laughed. "Now, will you carry me to the Halls? I think my everything is broken, and that will be the least of my worries if I take to long and Master Che comes looking for me."

Darra rolled her eyes at my exaggeration before looping my left arm around her shoulders and started helping me limp out of the auditorium.

"Come on you drama queen," she said with a giggle.

* * *

 **I am so very sorry for the amount of time it has taken me to update, as well as the shortness of the chapter. Football and basketball both started for the summer and overlapped for the last two weeks. On top of all that my wife and I are going through the incredibly frustrating process of finding and purchasing a home, and our internet has also been on the fritz lately.**

 **But, enough with excuses. So, yes, Tyris is pretty advanced for his age. This happens because he never had many of these things in his previous life, so he is fascinated in them, resulting in him pouring countless hours into training and studying. That's why he is constantly channeling the Force and practicing his lightsaber skills every second he gets. He is, however, struggling greatly with actually moving things with the Force, which I'm pretty sure many of you can guess the cause. One question I've been asked several times is about the current movies coming out and if I'll include them. It wouldn't be out of the question, but Tyris would be somewhere in his 70's at the start of Force Awakens. Besides, I've already stated that this story takes place in the Expanded Universe, or what Disney has decided to call Legends. I have no intention of using anything from the new movies, but will draw heavily from all the books that were written before Disney bought everything.**

 **Also, this was my first fight scene. What did you guys think? It was kind of short, but that is because is was just a practice duel and it was between two kids. I promise, I've got duels of epic proportions planned for later on in the story.**

 **In regards to the coming chapters, just like what was stated in this chapter, Tyris will have little to no affect on the events of Episode I, meaning that time period won't be covered very much. The next two chapters or so will probably contain significant time skips, at least until Tyris faces the Padawan Trials. I'm also sick of writing a small child haha.**

 **Again, this is my first story ever, so I really appreciate everyone who reviews. I'm learning as I go, so anything you guys have to add is a great help.**

 **Thanks again!**

 **Teee-Jay**


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